Aconitum
by xPaige Turnerx
Summary: It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU Rosalie/Bella
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

It wasn't that she didn't like spending time with Carlisle, not at all, because honestly, he was one of a handful of people she could actually stomach being around for more than a few minutes at a time. He offered the same calming tranquillity and understanding compassion as Jasper, minus the annoying habit of being able to read her like a book. Not that she held that against her brother, either. She knew it was more of a curse to him than it was to her, and she felt _haunted_ by her gifted siblings. Nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, always stripped bare simply existing near them, her very core exposed.

Every day she was thankful that it was these three generous, _kind_ souls that inherited such gifts.

Still, on this particular day, Rosalie was regretting asking the patriarch along with her. Not only did he want to _walk_ through the city, but he would not stop _greeting_ people on the sidewalk. Every person they passed, he offered a friendly 'hello' or 'good afternoon!' and Rosalie was desperately trying to squash the urge to strangle the man. She had enough people staring at her in a day, she didn't need him to bring extra attention to them. Not even her scowl could deter these strangers from pausing them to have a small chitchat with the pretty doctor, and thus she was forced to wait for him to catch up every few blocks.

As she was now, leaning against the side of the building, arms crossed, scowl at the ready. Watching Carlisle smile and shake the woman's hand again before the two of them parted ways, and he headed over. His smile was wide and he waved what looked like a colourful pamphlet at Rosalie, holding it up when he approached. "Good news! This woman pointed me in the direction of a comic store across the road and down another block. She said they've been there forever, they have a lot of merchandise, exceptional service. Not a chain store, or quite well known, so chances are they're not out of whatever you're looking for."

"Great, another dreary hole in the wall run by a herd of mouthbreathers waiting to ogle me," Rosalie sighed and spun on her heel. She stepped into the street, ignoring the screech of tires from the car skidding to a halt before slamming into her. The prophanities hurled her way morphed into a cat-call halfway through that bounced right off of her, dying in the cold silence of her wake.

Carlisle jogged across the street after her, waving apologies to the few cars who were forced to such a sudden stop. "We don't need to enter if it makes you this uncomfortable," he said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could find another store, or you could order it online back home?"

"We're already here, might as well look," she shrugged, "and you know how the internet frustrates me. I'd rather find it myself. Besides, if I let the risk of obscene men run me off each time, I'd never get to step foot outside of the house."

The patriarch nodded, staring down at the neon coloured pamphlet in his hands with furrowed brows. "Humanity has taken great strides, both forwards and backwards," he agreed. "It boggles me to try and understand how we've come so far while simultaneously degrading to such harmful attitudes towards fellow demographics."

"People suck."

A small smile curved his lips up and Carlisle sighed, shaking his head fondly. "A perfect way to sum it all up." They stopped in front of an older brick building and looked up at the sign that was nearly falling off, being held up only by the vines that had crawled up the corner of the building and climbed across to the other side.

 _ **Fortress of Inked Solitude**_

Only with her heightened sense of sight, did Rosalie catch the messily scrawled _geeks welcome_ underneath in blue sharpie. She snorted and glanced around the front of the shop, silently appraising, judging, and was... impressed. Over the years, Emmett had dragged her to many comic book shops and they were all... predictably the same. This one felt different. This one had character.

From the doodles scribbled on the windows, both inside and out, to the flyers taped up all over the front of the building. The seriously overgrown potted plants on either side of the door that would impress even Esme. The dragon door handle, and weird elven horn that replaced the bell above the door. Inside was much the same, with the front counter up by the windows to the left, the rest of the floor was left open with shelves and tables full to the brim with merchandise. Comics, books, action figures. Posters lined walls, model aircrafts from various fandoms hung from the ceiling. Mannequins displayed clothes, each with an equally unique and disturbing face drawn on, and randomly found all throughout the area were more plants. Exotic looking flowers, regular house plants, and literally a small tree. Each one thriving, individual scents morphing into one intoxicating, delightful smell.

This... this may have been the nicest space Rosalie had ever stepped into. She felt clean here. Clean, pure, refreshed, and warm. God. _Warm._ She hadn't felt warm in years, and years, and years. Not since she first met Emmett.

And then someone had to go and snore, the obnoxious sound shattering the peaceful calm that had settled over the shop, over Rosalie, that had felt more like a hug than her boyfriend's arms around her. Spine straightening, Rosalie glared over to the corner of the room and the raised platform. Up the two steps, a large circular table sat, next to a coffee machine and a vending machine. At the table, a young man was hunched over with his head in his arms, chest rising and falling with each breath. He snored again and Rosalie was ready to storm back out of the building.

Just as she turned, however, someone popped up from behind the front counter over by the window, and Rosalie felt the entire world shift on its axis. Her hand shot out, fingers brushing against the glass of the door, steadying herself as she stared at the girl who suddenly appeared in her life from nowhere.

With a grunt, the brunette heaved a large, boxy book up onto the counter and let it land with a bang. The cover had some kind of tacky jewel on the front, big and shiny and red, but Rosalie could not pry her eyes away from the angel who puffed out a breath from pink cheeks. The girl tucked a thick lock of her dark hair behind her ear and the simple action entranced Rosalie. As Mystery Angel pushed large, circular wire-framed glasses back up the bridge of her nose, Rosalie twitched.

 _Endearing. What? Cute. Mine. What?! Enticing. Run. Go. Away. Leave. Move. BLINK._

The girl finally looked up, equally dark eyes peering across at Rosalie curiously. Lips pulled up into a smile that felt like sunshine and it took everything in Rosalie's power not to step back. Not to grab the nearest shelf, throw it at the girl, and run away. "Hey there," the girl greeted around an amused chuckle. "Is there something I can... something I can... nope, can't do it. We need to address this thing that's happening here. What," she shook her head and actually laughed this time, and Rosalie marvelled at the sensation it caused in her chest, "what has you looking like you've just stepped on a weight-triggered mine?"

Wide eyes shifted to the side, Rosalie looking to Carlisle for help. The man was staring at her with open fascination and bewilderment, his eyebrows reaching high up his forehead, hand on his chin holding his open slacked jaw, the other raised in the air curiously.

The girl snorted and Rosalie's attention was brought back to her. Back to her and those pretty little white flowers in her _damn_ hair. Her head tilted to the side, dark curtain of hair falling over her shoulder, while she fought to tame her smile. "I'm sorry, this is the _weirdest_ encounter of my life, and it's super adorable."

Rosalie's wide golden eyes narrowed into a glare, face contorting back into a scowl as her body relaxed.

The smile aimed her way dimmed down into a light frown. "Oh shoot, clearly the wrong thing to say."

"I'm looking for a comic," Rosalie said brusquely and stalked up to the front counter. She grabbed Carlisle's sleeve on the way, forcing the man into action, disturbing him from his bewildered wonder. "A specific comic."

She slammed down a piece of paper with the title's name on it on the counter before crossing her arms over her chest. The girl hummed with intrigue, brown eyes watching Rosalie with interest until she finally pulled her gaze away to the paper below. She reached up to spin the paper towards her and Rosalie caught sight of ink just under the cuff of her sleeve, hated the way that curiosity ate at her gut. "A good choice," the girl said and glanced back up. Stared up at Rosalie from over her glasses before pushing them back up her nose, eyes crinkling with happiness. "You have excellent taste."

"It's for my-friend," the blonde faltered, tripping over her words, "boy."

"Your... friend boy."

"Yes."

"Friend that is a boy or boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Again, the girl laughed and Rosalie's jaw clenched painfully. "A fountain of knowledge, you are! Either way, it's a great issue. Trust me, I know _all_ about issues." And suddenly she was rolling. _Rolling_ around the counter, on a pair of rollerskates, her form wobbly as she held out her arms to catch herself should she fall. "In fact, I was toying with the slogan _I've got issues_ for the longest time."

"Wordplay," Carlisle piped up finally, with a humorous chuckle. He stepped up to the girl's side, hand up, ready to catch her. "You own this store, then?"

The girl nodded, rolling down through the aisles of shelves, eyes skimming the covers of each comic. "I do," she replied absently. "I suppose you could say I inherited the building, which, looking at it, isn't much."

"Nonsense. You have a lovely establishment here," Carlisle countered.

"Thank you." Another smile warmed the room, and Rosalie dragged her feet after the two. "I was torn on what to do with it until – _aha!_ There you are!" She grabbed the edge of a shelf, coming to an abrupt stop, her body jerking to the side as the skates kept going until she righted herself. Turning back to the two with a beaming face, the girl held up the comic issue in triumph. "Here we-"

The wooden door in the very back corner of the room swung open with a bang, another girl storming out with a stack of papers in each hand. "Bella!" she cried in exasperation and disbelief. "You spent five hundred dollars on _tickets to a human zoo?!"_

Everyone looked back at the girl, Bella, who shrank back. A powerful blush worked its way up her neck, to her cheeks, and her shoulders rose up defensively. "I'd never heard of it before, I was curious!"

"And?" the girl asked with a slight chuckle to her voice.

A shudder rolled through Bella's body and she shook her head. "Definitely not what I was expecting. I wasn't comfortable looking at people for two weeks after that."

The girl sighed deeply, turning back to the back office. "Five hundred dollars... human zoo... how you got this far in life, you giant walking ball of naivety..."

Bella turned back to the others with a sheepish look. "Pay no mind to Angela, she likes to grumble about 'my antics' daily." She let out a breath and nodded, looking between the two. Her eyes drifted back to Rosalie, drawn back by an invisible force. "Was this everything?"

"Yes," the blonde answered gruffly.

"Great. If you could just give me a little push towards the counter, I'll ring you right up."

Carlisle took the girl's hand and pulled her back towards the front of the store. "A new hobby you've taken up?"

"God no," Bella laughed. Her face scrunched up in amusement and Rosalie growled lightly in her chest, glaring down at her boots. "Well, I guess so. I don't have a car -carbon footprints, and all- but it takes _forever_ to get around Seattle on foot. So Charlie and I are gonna see if we can cut down some of that time if we add wheels to the equation."

Rosalie stepped up to the counter, careful not to slam her hands down on the surface too hard. "Who's Charlie?"

The three of them decided to ignore the hint of _demanding_ in her voice, and Bella lifted her fingers to her mouth and gave a sharp whistle. "Just the purest soul to ever walk this damned planet."

A hulking behemoth covered in black fur trotted around one of the shelves and into view, massive paws slapping the ground with a thud each time. Carlisle shuffled backwards from instinct when the mighty beast approached. A large head swung sideways into Rosalie's hip, the muzzle shaggy enough to leave a distinct _moustache_ impression, and, were she human, she was certain the beast would have knocked her right off her feet. Big brown eyes stared up at her and she quickly looked away, back to Bella-

-where another pair of big brown eyes stared back at her. A grin that rivalled the sun was beaming at her. "He likes you!" she gushed and leaned forward on the counter. "He's usually so wary of people, bit of an awkward lump. I think he can sense their fear."

"Yes, well, that happens when you have a bear for a pet."

Bella frowned. "He's a dog."

"It's a bear."

"A dog!"

Rosalie touched a finger to the top of his massive head, having to bend her elbow, and raised a golden brow at the girl. "He's as tall as the counter, just on all fours."

" _You're_ as tall as the counter!"

This time it was Rosalie who tilted her head to the side and gave the girl a look. "Very mature. How old are you, twenty-two, twenty-three?"

"Sure."

A sigh heaved her shoulders. "Can I just buy the damn comic so I can be on my way and get on with my life?"

"Well," Bella pressed her palms against the countertop, leaning back to puff out a breath of air again, "that depends. Are you okay with pretending you didn't fall madly and irrevocably in love with me the moment our eyes met? Good luck going back to your empty shell of a life now that you've gotten a little taste of heaven."

The glare on Rosalie's face collided with the shit-eating grin on Bella's, the two staring each other down. "You're a smartass."

"If that's what you're into, then for you I would be."

Rosalie scoffed. She snatched up the comic and tossed down a wad of cash, turning on her heel and storming towards the front door. The elven horn rang as she opened it and beckoned Carlisle to follow with a look.

Fumbling to catch the wad of cash, trying to keep it all together, Bella looked up like a gaping fish out of water. "This is too much money!"

"Keep it," Rosalie huffed as she struggled to keep her lips from curling up in a smile. "Visit another human petting zoo, for all I care," she called back just before the door swung closed again.

Through the window, she watched this strange, enchanting girl's face screw up in disgust and finally let out a quiet chuckle. "The mental picture! Oh god! Angela! Google Image bunnies and kittens, quick!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **-long drawn out, tired sigh-**

 **Right. Okay. Here we go. NEW STORY. Yeah. I know a lot of you made a case for making Species a triad, or somehow having Rosalie and Bella together in there, but honestly I just don't see it fitting properly. I mean, some of you made really great cases, and I was very tempted, but I just don't think it would have worked out. So Species will be staying strictly Bellice (or as strictly as it has because apparently platonic is a struggle for me), and I'll probably do a couple more oneshots au's like I have already.**

 **That being said, WELCOME TO MY FIRST EVER ROSELLA STORY. A short introduction that really introduces nothing, but I like it, it's something. I don't know what, but _something._ Was gonna keep going but I kinda like ending it here, with them meeting. So yeah, this is gonna be a full length multi-chapter story that I do while I work on the sequel for Species. **

**So no worries there, I am still working on Species as well. I just think I'm gonna do what I did the first time, write it all out, and then post it at once. This one, I'll do updates as they're written, just so you guys don't have to wait so long for something to read.**

 **Anyway, I know this is kinda choppy? I need to settle into my new Rosella groove, I'm still finding my footing. Trying to decide if I wanna do this from Rosalie's perspective or Bella's, or a little bit of both. I'm also running on _very_ little sleep, it's hella late here, and I got distracted every few minutes looking up dogs. So... yeah. **

**peace**

 **paige**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

A hand snapped around her ankle and the wrench she was holding was crumpled into a mangled mess just as she was yanked out from underneath Esme's truck. Rosalie stared up into her sister's excited face, those golden eyes alight with giddiness and a smile stretching across her face. The blonde bit back her hiss and instead tossed what used to be a wrench to the side with an echoing clang and a pointed look.

Alice shrugged and dropped down to straddle her sister's stomach, smooshing Rosalie's face between her hands. The amber eyes that had been regarding her, swirled into ebony pits and it was almost enough to make Alice stop. Almost. "Rose!"

"Bane of my existence."

"Rose!" Alice repeated in an ecstatic shrill. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Golden brows furrowed and Rosalie's pale lips tugged down into a small frown... or as much as they could with her face still smooshed. "I'm suffering deja vu," she murmured and then shook her head. "Or perhaps just suffering in general. Get off."

"We'll compromise," Alice countered and released the blonde's face. "I saw you smile!"

A long, drawn out sigh followed this excited declaration. "So?"

"You haven't smiled since '97, Rose. That's twenty years ago." Alice ducked down to press her forehead against her sister's, the ends of her ink black spikes tickling the side of Rose's face. " _Twenty! Years!"_

Finally having enough of this, Rosalie shoved Alice sideways, listening to the pixie topple to the ground and yet somehow turn it into a graceful roll up onto her feet again. Damn agile vampire. "I smile," she insisted gruffly. Not nearly as creative, though just as graceful, Rosalie rose to her feet and dusted off the front of her overalls. As always, she was somehow covered in sparkles after physical contact with her sister. "I smile the properly required amount given each individual situation."

"That's so _sad_ ," Alice gasped from the top of the truck. She held her chin in her hands, elbows braced on her knees, staring down at the blonde with wide eyes. "Besides, those don't count. I'm talking about _real_ smiling. The kind that reaches your eyes, the kind that sparks a light within your oily depths."

Ironically, an oil rag was thrown at the pixie who ducked, backwards somersaulting off of the truck and landing soundlessly on the other side. She grinned through the windows on the other side of the truck, winking at Rosalie's scowl. The blonde huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turned her back to her sister, leaning back against Esme's truck. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alice popped back up, laying on her stomach across the top of the truck to rest her chin on the edge next to Rosalie. "Liar."

"Alice, what do you want from me?" Rosalie demanded with a growl. Quick as lightning, she spun to grab Alice's shoulder and yank her off the truck, tossing her across the garage.

Infuriatingly, the pixie righted herself mid-air and landed gracefully on her feet. She rested her hand on the door leading back into the house, a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes. "Just pointing out the obvious."

"Which is?"

In a conspiratorial whisper, Alice lowered her voice. "Just one week ago you would have thrown me out the second I sat on you. Someone's in a good mood..."

The door closed a second before the mangled wrench was impaled through it, Rosalie left in a thoughtful silence. She stared at the door for a few heavy moments until her face smoothed out into impassive perfection, and she crossed the garage over to her workbench. Tools and different engine parts littered the top, equations and numbers scrawled into the surface of the top, stickers forever stuck to the metal sides. She opened the top left drawer, golden eyes staring down at the pristine comic sitting on top of piles of electrical tape and screws.

Pale fingers lifted up to gingerly touch her chest over the phantom heartbeat inside and, alone in her own personal sanctuary, Rosalie didn't feel the need to fight her lips from curling up into a smile. What an odd little human she had stumbled into at that comic shop.

The comic shop she entered to buy Emmett a gift. Emmett. Her best friend. Her boyfriend. The man who had been devoted to her for the past sixty years, who had been there in each and every way she needed, without hesitation, without a second thought, without ever demanding anything in return. Her rock. Her anchor.

With a scowl, Rosalie slammed the drawer closed again and spun around to lean back against the workbench. Hanging her head, Rosalie sighed deeply, and let the guilt swallow her whole. She didn't have the strength to fight back against it today, to wrestle her way through the day with it clawing at her insides, silently tearing her apart.

Almost immediately after leaving the garage, she bumped into Edward in the hallway. His own dark eyes met hers briefly before flickering away, off to the side, and back. He winced, shoulders twitching up, and awkwardly reaching out to pat her shoulder. Just before he made contact with her, however, he seemed to think better of it, and let his hand drop back to his side. Smart.

The boy sighed softly and shrugged. "Sorry."

"Go to hell."

He stumbled sideways as she pushed past him, watching her stalk down the hallway towards the staircase. "Believe me," he called softly. "I'm already there."

" _Boo!"_ Emmett barked out when Edward turned to continue on his way.

Flinging himself backwards, Edward's hand shot up to clutch his chest, out of habit more than anything. His wide eyes took in Emmett's hulking form, the giggles shaking his massive chest, golden eyes dancing with amusement. "Emmett! What did I say about sneaking up on me!"

"You said it was logically impossible because you can read minds," Emmett replied with a shrug of his large shoulders, a boyish grin on his face. "So suck it, bro! You're logically _wrong_ , dude!"

A powerful scowl slid across Edward's face and he stormed around his brother. "That doesn't count, I was distracted by your pouting girlfriend." Each family member glanced to the ceiling at the threatening crack of a slamming door, Edward pausing mid-step in alarm and listening to see if he had just endangered his own life. He let out a small breath and continued to the living room.

Inside, two of his other siblings sat, waiting for the rest of the Cullen children to get ready for school. Alice didn't look up from her book as she addressed him, "She takes it out on your car and yes, you deserve it."

"It was the pouting remark, wasn't it?" he asked with a huff and dropped onto the couch next to them.

Jasper nodded, reaching over to pat his brother's shoulder. "Sure was, bud. Upside, you're gettin' much better at identifying your social ineptitude. I think you're ready to take on sarcasm."

"Really?" Bushy eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, was _that_ sarcasm?"

Alice snorted and Jasper smothered his own grin, shaking his head. "Eh, maybe not totally ready just yet."

In a bustling blur of papers and chaos, Esme tore into the room. Her hand shot out - up, down, and to the side, snatching up each paper in the air before they could touch the floor, and looked up at her children, a little frazzled. "Are you all ready to go? Where are Emmett and Rosalie? We're going to be _late_ on our first day and that's it. That's all I get. _One_ chance to establish my authority to my classes, okay? These little monsters will walk all over me if I show even a _smidge_ of weakness, and my own _children_ are trying to sabotage me. You all want me to fail, is that it?"

Three sets of golden eyes, wide with disbelief, all exchanged looks between each other. Alice tamed her grin first and stood up to dance over to her mother, grabbing Esme's arms and giving a reassuring squeeze. "Esme," she said gently. "You need to calm down or you're going to scare somebody."

"Excuse me for a little anxiety on my first day of school. I have not stepped foot into a classroom since I was a human, Alice. I'm a little nervous."

Jasper coughed to cover his bark of laughter. "Yes. Only a little." He worked to push out a wave of calm, watching the motherly vampire's shoulders relax. "You're going to do great, Esme. We've heard you practice a few of your lectures already and they are enrapturing. The students are going to eat it up."

"Is it a coincidence that none of you are taking my class or do you have an issue with me teaching you?" Esme asked with a hand on her hip. Her face fell. "Do you have an issue with me teaching at your university? Am I encroaching on your territory?"

Edward shot to his feet, quick to quell his mother's fears. "Absolutely not," he insisted. "We are thrilled to have you join us at school. It's just... we already _lived_ through most of these History lessons, therefore learning them in school is... tedious. While other subjects change and shift as the world's knowledge evolves, History always remains the same."

"Yes, but that is the fascinating part!" Esme gushed, bouncing on her feet, her face alight with excitement. She flipped through the stack of papers in her hand. "See? Having lived through it, we have a unique perspective and the opportunity to correct falsities. Some of these entries in the textbooks, in the _history_ books, are wildly inaccurate. On the reverse side of my argument, the fact that history never changes and yet we somehow always discover new lessons to learn from it, is extraordinary. The past is an excellent and utmost patient teacher."

"Nerd alert!" Emmett hollered as way of greeting. He leaned against the entrance to the living room, tossing a wink to the others when they glanced up at him. "Rosie's just about ready, just finishing scrubbing grease from her hands."

Ever eager, Esme made for the front door with the others. "Excellent! We're taking Edward's volvo and your jeep, yes?"

"Yup. I take it you wanna be inconspicuous as the new professor, so my feelings aren't hurt that you wanna ride with Eddie-"

"I'm driving the jeep." The keys were snatched from his hand in a blur of motion, papers flying into the air in Esme's wake, while the front door hung open. "Grab those for me, please, they're important!"

Rosalie descended the spiral staircase just in time to watch her boyfriend pick up the fallen papers on the floor. She sighed softly, tracing her fingers along his back as she passed, and stepped out the front door. "I warned you how manic she would be this morning in all her excitement, but do any of you listen to me? No."

Deciding to avoid all that excess energy, Rosalie followed Jasper to Edward's volvo, sliding into the back. Humming under her breath, she yanked the door closed with a little more force than necessary and smirked at the crack that shot up through the glass of the window.

In her peripherals, she saw Edward wince, heard him groan under his breath before the car roared to life.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The first day of class was always the longest one, in Rosalie's opinion. She'd been through it many, many, _many_ times before that the tedium had become her own personal hell. Especially the first day. When other people didn't know better than to approach her. When they tried striking up conversations, sitting next to her in class, and, god forbid, _touched_ her. Thankfully, even amongst a university, word travelled fast, and by the time lunch rolled around, people were giving her a wide berth.

Whispers of broken fingers followed after her and, really, that boy should have known better than to grab her ass. Frankly, he was lucky she hadn't _fed_ him his own fingers, as she was sorely tempted to do. Alas, a few fractured bones got her message across, and she was quickly left alone, as she preferred.

Until, of course, Fate thought it fun to intervene.

Rosalie stalked across the campus, on her way to the picnic bench the others had agreed to meet up at for lunch. Hands in her pockets, books tucked under her arm, Rosalie's lips curled up in a satisfied smirk when humans parted like the red sea for her. Whether it was her looks, the murder in her eyes, or the rumours catching up about bodily harm should someone get too close to one Rosalie Hale, she didn't know, but she appreciated it all the same.

So distracted on isolated high was she, that Rosalie hadn't heard the commotion around the corner of the building until it was too late and she was turning said corner.

"Sorry! So sorry! Look out! Very new at this - oops! I'll buy you a new lunch, I promise! Look out! Hey! Aphrodite!"

Rosalie's mouth fell open, amber eyes widening, a moment before her Mystery Angel, Bella, collided with her.

Instinctively, Rosalie's arms rose up to encircle the girl, cradling her to her chest; one hand on her back and the other around her waist. Bella's own hands clutched at Rosalie as tight as she dared, rollerskate-clad feet shooting up into the air at her sudden stop, and she wrapped her legs around the tall statuesque blonde without thinking. Rosalie stood stock-still, unwilling to even breathe when her mind registered Bella's face in the crook of her neck, hot breath across her collarbone.

A light shudder rolled through Rose's body, her grip on that warm body tightening.

A few students around them chuckled, others murmuring curiously, before everyone went on their way, oblivious to the monumental greeting.

Oblivious herself, Bella chuckled into Rosalie's neck weakly. "Well, I'm just... I'm just koala-bearing you now..."

Rosalie's gaze snapped across the campus, to the picnic table she was heading to, where each of her siblings sat staring at her with astonished faces. Except for Alice. That damn pixie. A grin threatened to split her face in two.

With a huff, Rosalie dropped Bella to the ground. She watched the girl pout faintly and clenched her jaw. Bella pushed her large glasses back up her nose and tilted her head back to look up at Rosalie, a lopsided grin latching onto her face. "You smell divine."

"I-" Rosalie's scowl intensified while she struggled to smother the flutter in her chest, anxiously glancing back towards her family. Edward looked on with interest while the others whispered to themselves. She glared back down at Bella. "Why would you say that?"

Her little angel frowned absently, face scrunching up in deep thought. Rosalie took the moment to appraise the weirdo's attire; a strange mix of hippie and punk, rather than the soft flower nymph from the other day. Dark jeans with torn knees, clunky neon orange skates, a bright green belt with a blue and purple shirt tucked into it. The sleeves of her of shirt looked haphazardly chopped off, _Mother Nature Can Fuck Me Up_ scrawled across the front. The lack of sleeves revealed what Rosalie had, grudgingly, been obsessing about, the tattoo on Bella's left arm. A sleeve of vines encompassing clocks, ravens, and an old birdcage. On her wrist beneath her palm vines hugged the moon, while a blazing sun took up her shoulder and, God, Rosalie wanted to say it looked tacky. She wanted to say that this was the dorkiest little hipster she had ever met, but it all _fit_ her so well, she looked like a work of art, and was just weird enough that it probably all had some important meaning to her.

Finally, Bella tilted her head to the side and smiled again. "Because you smell really, really good?"

A scoff, a roll of her eyes, Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest. She kicked at one of the rollerskates. "Is there a particular reason you decided to endanger the entire student body today?"

"I need the practice," Bella replied with an embarrassed blush. She dusted her palms off and readjusted her old beat-up messenger bag before struggling to try and get to her feet. "Charlie and I barely made it back to the shop with our lives yesterday. I can't tell you how many times I rolled out into traffic and he had to come save me. I just... this is _very_ difficult... and you're just gonna watch me try to get up without offering any help. Great."

With the weight of nearly a century on her back, Rosalie sighed and grabbed the girl's arms, easily hoisting her back up onto her feet. "Do the world a favour and invest in a bicycle."

A gasp fell from Bella's lips, dark eyes widening comically. She snapped her fingers. "A bike! How did I not think of that!" She clicked her tongue and frowned down at the skates. "I already put in so much effort to learn how to skate though."

"You really didn't."

"And Eric helped me make them look so cool."

"They really don't."

"And rollerskating is a dying art."

"It's really not."

Bella hummed, hands on her hips, and shook her head. "I think I'm going to stick with it. After all, my parents didn't raise a quitter." A little mischievous smile tugged the corner of her lips up. "They didn't raise much, in fact."

"Great. Good for them. Good for you. Move," Rosalie spat as her anxiety bubbled over. She felt the heavy weight of each of her siblings' gazes on the side of her face, knew she was taking too long, knew she messed up the second she decided to engage with this fumbling mess.

Undeterred, Bella shrugged. "Alright, Miss Cranky Pants. Oh, wait! Here, I have something for you." She ducked her head, a curtain of dark hair hiding her actions as she dug around in her bag. "In here somewhere... victory!"

Much to the disbelief of literally _anyone_ watching the exchange, Bella pulled a _flower_ out of her bag. Perfectly pristine and undamaged, despite their collision, as if she'd just plucked it straight from the plant. With a cheeky grin, Bella presented the flower to the unsuspecting blonde; the petals a soft pink with a yellow centre.

Rosalie's gaze shifted from the flower, up to Bella's eyes, and back to the flower again.

An awkward silence fell over them and Bella shifted, a little wobbly still on the skates, and held the flower closer to Rosalie. "It's a _Plumeria_."

"What." Rosalie paused, her shoulders drooping in a sigh. "What?"

Bella frowned. "It's a flower, a pretty flower, because... well, I don't know. You paid _way_ more than the comic was worth last weekend and I've felt bad since, I know I kinda chased you out of the shop, so I was hoping I'd run into you sometime. Not literally run _into_ you, that was a wild coincidence." Her face scrunched up in amusement and Rosalie swallowed down a growl. "But yeah. So this is for you. A thank you, mixed into an apology, and a sort of... repayment of debt? Mostly, though, it's just a flower."

"I don't want it," Rosalie said quickly as her family's snickers reached her ears. "Keep it."

The frown on Bella's face grew more prominent and she cradled the flower back to her, and, were Rosalie paying more attention to the flower than the girl, much like everyone else, they might have witnessed the little plant wither in her fingers slightly. Bella forced a smile again and shook her head before tucking the flower up in her hair behind her ear. "Okay then. I should probably get going if I want to catch Angela and Eric. It was nice bumping into you again...?"

"Rosalie," she ground out around her clenched jaw.

A light gasp once again fell from Bella's lips, her fingers brushing over her heart. "My prickly rose! How accurate," she murmured with a twinkle in her eye.

Rosalie's eyebrow twitched, her fingers curling into her palms with enough pressure to leave cracks. She worked her jaw a few times, trying to get words to form on her tongue, push them out through her lips while Bella watched her struggle. Instead, she huffed, rolled her eyes, and shouldered her way around the girl.

The table was decidedly silent when she finally got there, slamming her books down before dropping onto the bench beside Emmett. She stared hard at the cover of her textbook while the others all exchanged looks over her. Alice sucked in a breath, reaching over to tap the cover. "So who was that?"

"Nobody."

"Didn't _look_ like nobody," Jasper sang under his breath quietly. He grunted at the stoney fist that punched him in the thigh, shifting in his seat painfully.

Emmett tossed his head back to bark out a laugh and Rosalie looked up curiously, anxious once again. "She smoked you, Rose! Were you human, she would have taken you right out! That was great."

"She is a mess," Rosalie agreed with the barest hint of a smile.

"A curious mess," Edward commented thoughtfully. The others around the table looked to him, to his worried eyes and faint frown. He glanced around them all and back to the corner the girl had disappeared around. "I couldn't hear her."

With uncomfortable hesitance, Alice bit her lip. "I didn't _see_ her."

"Was distracted," Jasper added, "but I don't think I felt her, either."

As the others broke down into a conversation of this curious new girl, why each of their gifts might have failed on her, Rosalie stared down at her hands. Her hands that had just held the most perfect creation she'd ever seen. Whoever this Bella girl was... she was dangerous news for Rosalie.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Alright, chapter two!**

 **Writing from Rosalie's perspective is fuckin' hard, dude. I'm too in my head about it, I think, and I'm super unimpressed with everything I write. Might swap it up and write from Bella's point of view. Also, my arm is fuckin' killing me, I just got one of my tattoos filled in with solid black and it _hurts_. So writing physically pained me. **

**Anyway, yeah. Second chapter. Esme's a professor, which we'll see more of. Alice and Jasper are together and lemme tell you, _that_ is not going to be no picnic in the park for me. It's gonna fuckin SUCK making Bella and Alice platonic buddies, but I'm gonna try. Gonna try real hard. **

**peace**

 **Paige.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

Neon orange wheels glided down the tiled hallway, down and around each student she passed. Knees were freshly bruised, a delightful sting along the exposed skin of the torn jeans. Ink marks stained the thighs, doodles carelessly drawn on with pen and sharpie alike. _The Kills: Future Starts Slow_ was scrolling across the screen of the iPod clipped to a bright green belt, an old messenger bag covered in dozens of pins bouncing against her hip. A sucker stick was trapped between grinning lips, a bulky set of noise cancelling headphones keeping the chaotic world at bay, as Bella rolled through the halls of the building her next class was in.

"On your left," she called before swooping around the tall boy, gliding to the opposite side of the hall. Shifting the sucker in her mouth to her other cheek, Bella pulled the crinkled map out of her back pocket to check which room number it was. "Tch," she clicked her tongue and tucked it back into her pocket, pushing off from the closest locker to gain speed.

One of the larger rooms on the other side of the building, this class had been particularly hard to get into. One of her favourites, she hadn't rested until she'd gotten her spot. Always eager to discover everything she'd missed over the years, Bella never skipped a History class.

As she came shooting around the corner, the classroom door coming up quick, Bella realized she still wasn't... the best at stopping just yet. "Oh." Frowning absently, Bella started looking around for something to grab, eyes lighting up when she spotted one of her friends ducking into the room. "Eric!"

Just inside the room, the boy turned at the sound of his name. One step towards the door, he let out a weird mix between a gasp and a shriek, holding up his arms to catch his clumsy friend. Pain bloomed in the entire front of his body at their collision, and then all down his back when they landed in a heap on the floor. Blinking the stars from his eyes, he looked up at the giant walking puppy beaming back down at him. "Hey, Bella," he groaned.

" _Sveiki,_ Eric!" Bella chimed back happily, her hands on either side of his head, long dark hair curling on the floor around him. He reached up to straighten her crooked glasses and her grin widened. "Thanks for the assist."

Helping to push her up to her feet, Eric sat up and gingerly rubbed his back while he straightened his own glasses. "No problem," he muttered with a little pout and got to his feet. "You're just lucky it was me and not this crazy chick everyone's been talking about all morning. She _broke_ some dude's fingers just for touching her butt!"

"I know!" Bella laughed. Sharp, loud, and joyful, it covered the tired sigh from the professor's desk. "Don't touch girls' butts without their consent and you're golden, Eric."

The boy scoffed as he followed Bella over to the steps, holding out his arms in case she went rolling backwards, to keep her from toppling back down them. "Yes, well, we both know there will be no issue there."

"My favourite little homo," she cooed and picked the fourth row. One of the students in the row gave her a sharp look as she passed, muttering about homophobia. Finding their seats, she turned and placed an affectionate kiss on Eric's cheek, one that had him blushing and beaming at her. "How's Ben doing, by the way?"

Eric sighed and fell into his seat, propping his elbow up on the desk and holding his chin in his hand. "Long distance relationships are hard. I was so caught up in being proud of him going to Julliard, I forgot how much it was going to suck for me."

" _Aš atsiprašau."_

"Ehh," he shrugged and faced the front of the room as the professor started setting up for her lecture. "Is what it is... oh my god, she's beautiful! Bella! Look!"

Fingers tapped on the polished surface of her desk, brown eyes behind large lenses peering down at the woman curiously. A thoughtful hum rumbled her chest, head tilting to the side very slightly. Reaching into her bag, Bella retrieved a green sharpie and popped the cap off, adding another tick beside the first two on her left wrist. That made three now.

Those odd golden eyes glanced up to Eric and beside him, landing on Bella, open and honest and full of jitters. The anxious ball in Bella's gut smoothed out, easing up from chewing through her stomach, and she let out an inaudible breath. The woman smiled brightly and Bella gave a friendly two finger salute.

Waiting until that gaze shifted away from her, Bella glanced beside her at Eric who was tapping away on his phone. "Is that Angela? When's the last time you heard from her? We should check in."

"Easy, Momma Hen," he laughed quietly. "Yeah, it's Ange. Why would we check in, none of us are five years old?"

"Time is a human concept, Eric, there's no such thing as five years old! BFFs check in, it's what we do."

His grey eyes studied her before rolling to the ceiling. "Whatevs, dude. She's fine. Killing it in Physics right now, our little engineer is practically teaching the class."

"Good. Okay. Was that so difficult?" Bella huffed and grabbed her notebook from her bag, opening it up on her desk. "I could go for a Slushie right now."

"You could always go for a Slushie, you bottomless garbage pit," he muttered back with a grumble. "I have _one_ milkshake and I bloat. But, knowing Ange, you're going to convince her to stop on the way back to Forks, so I'm down. As long as you're buying."

"They're like two bucks."

"Two bucks I don't have, bitch."

Down at the front of the room, Esme cleared her throat nervously. She stood in front of the chalkboard at a podium, her textbook and notebook both on top and open to her lesson. "Good afternoon! My name is Professor Cullen, and I will be teaching your History lesson for the rest of the term. You guys are the third class I've ever taught on my own, so go easy on me," she laughed weakly.

"You're gorgeous!" a boy up in the back called.

A few students chuckled and Esme ducked her head, an embarrassed smile on her face. "Thank you, I-"

"Marry me!" another chortled.

"Okay, I think we should-"

"Have my babies!"

The embarrassment slowly gave way to uncertainty and frustration, Esme grabbing the edges of the podium hard enough that her nails began to dig into the wood. Brilliant golden eyes darkened to a burning amber in the blink of an eye, and Bella leaned forward on her desk to crane her head around so she could spot the latest heckler. She caught sight of his lanky form, skeezy eyes dragging up and down the woman. "You have _my_ babies!" Bella called back to him.

More students laughed and he searched for her. Locking eyes, the boy tilted his head curiously, though still clearly amused. "I... can't?"

"And nobody cares," she said happily. "We're here to learn History, not hear about your procreation inadequacies."

"Well, I'm not _inadequate_ , I just can't-"

"Shhhh, honey, no one cares. Just sit there and look pretty for us, mmkay? Thanks."

With a huff, the boy leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Bella, too, sat back and looked to the front of the classroom where Esme was giving her a thankful smile. The vampire cleared her throat and regarded the rest of the room. "Now that we've got that awkward exchange out of the way, let's take a trip into the past, shall we?"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Edward and Alice grinned at each other from opposite ends of their Chem table. "I like her," Alice whispered. "I think I'm going to find her after class and introduce myself."

"Alice," Edward laughed quietly. He shook his head fondly, a deep sigh heaving his shoulders. A few particularly sharp and crude thoughts cut through his efforts to block everyone out and he winced, trying to shake off the overly sexual images of him and a number of the female students across the room. "I think our sister may take offence to that."

The pixie stuck her nose in the air, dark spikes bouncing. "I don't care. She cannot call _dibs_ on a person, it doesn't work that way."

"Also fairly certain she hadn't called dibs, nor would she ever." Edward forced himself not to meet the eyes boring into his face, did his best to ignore everyone else but his sister and the professor. "From what I gathered, she would rather avoid the girl altogether. You befriending her would make this particularly difficult."

Golden eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "Good. Avoiding her is the _worst_ possible course of action, you know that."

"I do," Edward agreed with a thoughtful face. He frowned slightly. "Though I do believe it's not our place to meddle or intervene. Rosalie is a grown woman, she can make her own choices."

Alice groaned loudly, holding her face in her hands. "But she makes such bad ones!"

"Hers to make, I'm afraid," Edward laughed again. A companionable silence passed between them as they filled out their papers while the professor droned on. Edward held his head in the palm of his head, leaning against the table, and glanced at his sister. "Have you seen anything between them?"

The pixie looked up from her paper curiously, leaning forward on her arms. Forced to tuck her legs under her to sit on her heels so she could see over particularly tall students in front of them. "You mean besides that display at lunch, and the _glow_ she had all last week after coming home from the girl's comic store?"

"How can you be sure it's the same girl?"

"Is it not?"

"I was just wondering," he shook his head with a little smile. "It's not like you to make uneducated assumptions without a vision to back it up. Indeed, it is the same girl. Carlisle was particularly tickled by their entire interaction, and now we know firsthand why. What an unusual girl."

Alice nodded emphatically, a grin pulling her lips up and revealing her fangs. "She's weird. I like it."

" _You're_ weird," Edward countered. Her eyebrows lifted in delighted surprise and he sat up eagerly. "Did I do it? Was that a burn?"

She leaned forward and held up her hand for a high five. "The closest you've ever gotten to one, so we'll take it!"

"Excellent!" He slapped her hand happily, bouncing in his seat. "Oh, this is wonderful! Carlisle will be so proud when he hears about it."

Watching her brother with a full, warm heart, Alice sighed softly. "You have all of my love, you adorable little dork." Letting him bask in the win over his usual social confusion, Alice waited until the moment was over. She cleared her throat, putting on a serious face when Edward looked at her. "So what are we going to do about Emmett?"

Listening to the thoughts that were left unspoken, Edward's brows furrowed and he shook his head. "That is none of our business, Alice! We cannot... we cannot _meddle_ like that. Their relationship is their own business, and if they like how it is, we need to respect that. They make each other happy."

"But they're not mates!" Alice huffed.

He shrugged his shoulders. "That doesn't seem to bother them."

"What if she _is_ her mate!" Alice shook her head with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Edward, you saw Rosalie. Smiling. She's smiled _twice_ in the last week, and the true, soft kind. The kind meant only for her, not a mask to be worn around others, but because she _felt_ like smiling. What was going on in her mind when they bumped into each other today?"

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Edward frowned. "That's private and I regret that I am forced to invade it, but I have no control over that. What I do have control over, is keeping a secret, and I will. I owe her that much."

"Boyscout."

"Human decency," he corrected with a grumble.

She rolled her eyes. "Not human..."

"You know what I mean!"

Alice stuck her tongue out at him, leaning back as he reached out to flick her nose. Her face scrunched up in a happy grin and he sighed again, though could not hide the affection in his gaze. "So it was super sweet things, right? Ooooh! Does she think the girl is cute? _I_ think the girl is cute! Her tattoo! Rosalie _loves_ tattoos, she _must_ have been thinking about that. What about the accent?"

"Alice, I told you, I cannot break Rosalie's trust like – wait," his brows tugged together in mild confusion, "what accent?"

"You numbskull," she reached over, quick as a flash, to mess up his hair, and retreated back before he could slap her hand away. "I know literally everything about her is very distracting -huh, do you think that's on purpose?- but were you really not paying attention? Granted, it _is_ quite faint, nearly nonexistent, really, but she had an accent!"

"What kind?"

Alice opened her mouth before slowly closing it, a little pout sliding across her face. "I... don't know. It was too faint to identify. I must research this!"

"No! Alice! Leave her alone!"

"I'm just going to introduce myself."

"Rosalie will _murder_ you," Edward said quietly. He leaned on the table, placing his larger hand over her small one, golden eyes beseeching. "You can't _leave_ me with those animals, Alice. You are, by far, my favourite sibling. Emmett gave me a _wedgie_ seventeen years ago and I can _still_ feel it."

A light sigh drifted from her painted lips, eyes rolling upwards. "So melodramatic, Edward, and flattery will get you nowhere. I've made my decision and I'm introducing myself."

"Unnngh!"

With a sly smirk, Alice's eyes danced, and Edward regarded her wearily. "Care to join me in meeting the object of our dear sister's chaotic intrigue?"

"No," Edward furiously shook his head until he paused and considered it. "Yes. Well, no. Maybe." One of his pale fingers tapped at his chiselled chin while he hummed. "She's going to kill me by association anyway, so I guess there's no harm in making it worth the pain... I'm in."

"Excellent!" Alice cheered. "You've made the right choice."

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that, but it's my choice all the same."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The overcast sky was tinged a dark grey by the time classes were let out. Alice tugged her raincoat tighter around her like the rest of the student body while Edward usually forgot to keep up human appearances, and walked out in his thin shirt. Too busy scanning the minds around him, he missed Alice's exasperated huff and nearly didn't realize she'd wrestled him into a coat while they strode through campus. "She's in the parking lot... heehee!"

Alice didn't have time to mock the boy for his giggle. His legit, _actual_ giggle, because when they turned the corner she saw what had him tickled pink. "Yes! I _love_ her, Edward!" Alice crooned and threw her fist in the air. "Let's go say hi!"

"Should we not let her finish?" Edward inquired curiously as he followed his sister into the parking lot.

She waved him off. "She's nearly done and we don't have much time before Rosalie get's here. Come on."

Skating around Edward's silver volvo, the curious girl dropped flower after flower on the hood, the roof, the trunk, and the pavement around the vehicle itself. A few cars down, Angela and Eric sat in Angela's car waiting, with the music blaring out of her old speakers. Used to her antics, the friends patiently awaited the last of their trio.

Alice hopped into Bella's path, watching those brown eyes widen in surprise as she jerked to a stop. The pixie giggled and held up her arms, ready to catch the girl, and was rewarded with a charming _"_ _Oof!"_ when they collided. The air was knocked from Bella's lungs and she had to reach out to catch her headphones that were also knocked right off her head, hanging them around her neck. "Greetings, tiny wall."

"Howdy!" Alice chimed when the girl pushed back off of her shoulders, rolling back to a more reasonable space. "I'm Alice!"

Sharpie stained fingertips pushed oversized glasses back up her nose, Bella's eyes narrowing in scrutiny. Her dark gaze shifted up and down the pixie before her before a joyous grin appeared on her face. "So you are. My, but you're quite breathtaking, aren't you?"

"Was that a pun?" Alice asked in a giddy voice, unable to stop herself from bouncing in place. _Yes, yes, yes! This is_ _ **exactly**_ _what Rosalie needs!_

Shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Could be. Hi, I'm Bella," the girl said when she noticed Edward awkwardly shuffling by her shoulder. She held out her hand for him to shake, brows quirking up at how slowly and carefully gripped her hand.

"Edward Cullen, a pleasure to meet you," he insisted with wide eyes. Only at Alice clearing her throat and her silent prompt did he stop shaking Bella's hand and dropped it like it was on fire. "Was that too long for a shake?"

Brown eyes danced with amusement and delight. "Yes, but it was fantastic! Oh, hmm, just give me a second." The two watched her dig around in her bag, producing a green sharpie and added another tick beside the first three before drawing a line across them. Edward gave Alice a curious look; _five?_ "So, what can I do for you?" Bella asked once she put the marker away again.

"This is my car," Edward said meekly. She only blinked at him and he awkwardly waved his hand towards the volvo. "Those flowers are meant for Rosalie?"

She snapped her fingers and wobbly turned on the spot, rummaging around in her bag again. "Yes, sorry. I managed to track her down to one of these two vehicles and the jeep didn't scream _Ice Queen_ , so I figured it was this one."

"What's with the flowers?" Alice asked as she skipped up to the girl's side. There were many, at least three dozen.

"Have you ever been presented an opportunity you _could not_ pass up, even if you wanted to?"

Golden eyes danced and Alice nodded fiercely. "Absolutely. Oh, I'm so excited. What are they?"

Again, Bella shrugged simply. "Some _Amaryllis,_ a bunch of _Birds of Paradise,_ a few _Anemone_ , aaaaand," she pulled a final flower from her bag, placing it in the middle of the bed on the hood. "A _Gardenia."_

"Oh!" Edward gasped suddenly and jerked forward beside the other two. They both looked at him in mild alarm that melted away at his excited, giddy face. "I can hear it! Your accent, I mean. Alice, I can hear it!"

The pixie's head tilted to the side, an amused bemused look on her face. "There _had_ to have been a better way to approach that." Her eyes slid up to Bella who looked curious. "We can hear your accent, as faint as it may be." Her brows furrowed. "Though I cannot seem to be able to place it."

"I don't blame you," Bella laughed and shook her head. "Most people can't hear it at all, so I'm impressed. It's a few bleeding into each other? I travel a lot, pick up accents in the places I've stayed longer in, only to gradually fall into a new one. You're probably hearing a bit of Lithuanian mixed into Arabic. Good ear."

Both vampires glanced away, making noncommittal noises. Alice was the first to recover, a happy smile on her face. "That's fascinating. We travel quite a bit as well, we should talk about the places we've been, see if we ever could have bumped into each other."

"I would love nothing more than to do just that, Alice and Edward of the Cullens, but I have to run," Bella said distractedly.

Alice pouted, hands on her hips. "Aww, why?"

"Your sister just spotted me and she does _not_ look happy," Bella grinned. She raised her hand, wiggling her fingers at the blonde storming across the parking lot towards them. "It was wonderful to meet you both and I," she said without taking her eyes off the blonde and her delightful scowl. "Hello, Aphrodite!"

"What are you doing to the car?" the blonde snapped. Her black eyes flickered down to the car, all the flowers, to Bella's grin and Alice's silently shaking shoulders, to Edward's stunned and fearful look, and back into those brown eyes shining with joy. "Well?"

"I..." Bella glanced over her shoulder at the car and back to Rosalie, awkwardly holding out her hand to display the flowers. "For you?"

"You for me?" Rosalie repeated, as if to throw her moronic words back in her face.

It had the undesired effect of eliciting a happy squeal out of Alice. "Yes!"

"Flowers," Bella said as she tried to tame the smile on her face, and stuttered out a laugh. "Flowers for you."

"Stop trying to give me flowers, damn it!" Rosalie growled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If I wanted flowers, my _boyfriend_ would get me some."

"...yeah, but would they be as nice as these ones?"

Rosalie stalked forward threateningly and Bella pushed off from the volvo, gliding along the pavement towards Angela's car. "Leave me alone!" she called after the infuriating girl.

"Not likely!" Bella sang back as she ducked into the backseat through the open window, neon orange skates in the air. "Drive, Angie, _drive!"_

Whirling on the flowers, Rosalie was shoved backwards as Alice threw herself on the hood. "No!" the pixie gasped and scooped up an armful. "They're _beautiful_ , Rose. You can't toss them away."

In a stormy silence, Rosalie stepped up towards Alice and Edward. The boy shrank back while her sister held her ground, staring up at the blonde defiantly. Rosalie's black eyes flickered down to the flowers and Alice watched as a sliver of gold swirled back into her irises. She lifted her lip up in a silent snarl and briskly sidestepped the pixie, sliding into the car.

 _She didn't back down._

Brows furrowed, Edward glanced sideways at Alice and her mischievous eyes. "So?"

 _Emmett always backs down._

 **.**

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 **I'm trying this Open Point Of View thing after a reader mentioned it in a review, which seems to be working for me. There will still be larger chunks of it in Rosalie's POV and perhaps even a couple in Bella's, but I think for the most part it's gonna be open like this.**

 **How does nobody ever notice this girl pull a literaly flower cart worth of flowers out of her bag? Through the magic of distraction, that's how... and perhaps something else.**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

The bedroom door slammed shut with a threatening crack -so commonplace in the Cullen household, one began to believe Rosalie Hale knew no other way to close a door- and the rest of the family collectively winced and sighed. The blonde had been in a particularly foul mood after the parking lot incident, leaving Jasper, Emmett, and Esme in the dark. Edward and Alice had exchanged guilty looks of frustration but hadn't said a word aloud.

And now Emmett had to go fix things. Again. The friendly giant heaved a sigh, perching on the arm of the couch. He listened to Esme retreat up to her study to go over all the paperwork that came with being a professor, something she had been gushing about the entire way home in-between tense silences. He couldn't really tell you what she said specifically, though, having spent too much time worrying about Rose. Seemed like all he did these days. Worry about his delicate rose.

A humourless snort tore from Edward's throat before the boy could smother it and Emmett levelled him a halfhearted glare. "You don't know her like I do."

"I would argue I know her even better."

Emmett's frown deepened. "And _I_ would argue a biased perception taints the truth."

They stared each other down, Emmett's hulking frame drooping with his pout, Edward's stiff posture remaining ever rigid as he sat at the grand piano in the corner of the room. Pale fingers gingerly ghosted over ivory keys as he considered his brother's words until he finally blinked his golden eyes. "You would be correct. My apologies."

"Why is she so upset?" Emmett asked as his face softened. He had a hard time staying mad at Edward, unlike his blonde counterpart. Although, he supposed, Edward and Rosalie clashed so often because they were too similar in a number of aspects.

Edward ducked his head, shifting his focus to the keys beneath his fingers. A slightly melancholy tune drifted across the room to Emmett who stood from his perch and approached. "I don't know. Perhaps you should ask her yourself?"

"That's a load of shit, Eddie," Emmett huffed. Edward winced at the foul language and the giant rolled his shoulder. Though slow to anger, he had surprisingly little patience. "You know everything, you and Alice combined."

Bushy eyebrows tugged down over those golden eyes that refused to look up, shoulders scrunching up together. "We are deeply flawed individuals, Emmett, and we would never claim to know all."

" _I'm perfect and I know everything!"_

The two of them glanced up at Alice's distant shout from her and Jasper's bedroom. Edward's face fell into a deadpan and he rolled his eyes. " _I_ am deeply flawed and would never claim such things," he corrected himself. "So go ask _the all seeing pain in my side!"_ he shouted back.

" _Stop yelling through my house, get up and go talk to each other!"_

Emmett snorted at Esme's hypocritical shout and shook his head. "Forget it, I'm going to the source."

"God speed," Edward muttered and looked up with his lip caught between his teeth. "Emmett?" He waited for his brother to turn back and offered a grimace of a smile. "I... I really... you're just... never mind."

Well, that didn't make the friendly giant feel better. In fact, it added to his anxiety and he briefly toyed with the idea of just finding Jasper for a quick game on the play station instead. As always, however, concern won out over personal preference, and he found himself standing before their bedroom door.

With a quick knock, Emmett cracked open the door and slid inside. Having been the only other soul to ever enter Rosalie Hale's bedroom, he wasn't at all surprised by the soft blues, yellows, and whites. It often felt like a sunny day, stepping into their room, and he always half expected to find the beach right outside their window. Their window Rosalie was in so often that Esme had added a little nook for the blonde.

Which is exactly where he found her currently. Staring out at the woods behind the house, with her chin resting on her knees, hugging her legs to her chest. "Rosie?" he called gently as he approached, knowing better than to sneak up on her. Last time he tried, she'd sent him right through the wall.

Esme had been none too happy with them.

Easing down into the nook beside her, Emmett was careful not to touch. He leaned against the glass, entering her line of vision, and offered a lopsided grin that usually cheered her up enough to talk. "Hi."

This time her dark eyes shot down to the window pane immediately and she buried more of her face into her elbow until just her eyes peeked over.

Emmett's grin fell into a pout. "What's wrong, Rose?" He shuffled closer, still not touching, and brought his own feet up to mirror her. "Were kids mean to you today?"

Much like Edward, a graceless snort shook Rosalie's shoulders.

It earned a mighty chuckle from Emmett. "Nah, didn't think so. My Rosie would kick their ass. Heard you broke some dude's hand? You don't have to feel bad about that, sounds like he deserved it. Not supposed to touch people without permission."

"You're my favourite," Rosalie told Emmett seriously as she raised her chin to be heard clearly. "Emmett, you are my favourite person. You're my best friend."

Alarmed at the free affection, Emmett's eyes widened and he looked around anxiously. "What happened? Did someone die? Oh my god, _where is Carlisle?!"_

Rosalie rested her hand on his arm, settling him before he could jump up to search the house. "He's at work, nobody died!" she hissed in annoyance. Angry eyes regarded him coldly and Emmett shrank back. "Is that the only scenario in which you can reasonably see me offering you praise? Someone has to die before I express myself?"

"Well... no? Or yes? Which one do you like better?"

"Emmett," Rosalie huffed. She groaned softly, resting her forehead on her arm to stare down at the cushions beneath them. "Why do you always try to give me what I want?"

She glanced up to study his face seriously and Emmett floundered. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, tossing the question around in his head, until his own face grew serious. Massive shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. "I want you to be happy."

"Should I not just be happy with you?"

His entire frame drooped again. "Are you not?"

"Not... always." Rosalie forced the words out, forced herself to communicate with her best friend because if not him, if not this wonderful man who had dedicated years, and years, and years of his life to her, then who? "Not like Jasper feels with Alice or Esme with Carlisle."

Emmett scratched his cheek idly. "Well they're mates, that's different."

"Are you not scared I will one day find my mate and suddenly lose interest in this game we play?"

"Have you?" he asked quietly. Those black eyes just kept staring at him, no shift, no change, no tell, and he honestly didn't know what was going on in that head of hers. He bounced closer, hesitatingly only a moment before pressing his thigh against her hip. "I don't see it as a game we play. Not always, at least." He struggled to find the words to explain how he felt. "Sometimes it is, sometimes it's a really fun game, don't get me wrong. But usually... mostly, I see... I see you. _My_ favourite person. _My_ best friend. Haunted and fighting, always fighting. To do better. Be better. Feel better. And I want to help. So I do what you need me to do, be who you need me to be, and try to make things a little bit easier for you. And if being your boyfriend does that, then I'm happy." He shrugged again, a soft smile on his handsome face. "And if just being your best friend does that, then I'm happy. As long as you are, Rose. That's all I want from you. So no," he laughed. "I'm not scared. I eagerly await the day your happiness comes a little easier to you."

Eyes that stung stared hard at him, Rosalie's intensity seeping out of her in waves. After what felt like an eternity, she blinked, and the entire room sighed in relief. Her gaze returned to the woods, more conflicted that it was before, but not as severe. "You're too good for me, Emmett," she muttered quietly.

"You deserve even better," he argued with a frustrated huff. "Is this why you're upset, Rosie? Because you haven't found your mate like the others?"

Her stormy silence returned and Emmett held back his groan. Sometimes trying to have a conversation with Rosalie was like talking to a wall.

He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. "He's out there, Rose. Don't doubt that." Obsidian eyes flickered to him and, if possible, grew even harder than they were before. He quickly backtracked. "Er, I mean, well... he isn't? Maybe he hasn't been born yet! Yeah! I... you look even more upset."

"Stop trying to give me what I want, Emmett!" she snarled at him.

Flinging himself back against the wall, Emmett winced when it cracked and heard the exasperated noise Rosalie made. "Sorry, sorry!"

"And stop apologizing all the time!" she roared as she got to her feet, a cold, imposing, beautiful statue.

He nodded fiercely, an apt impression of a bobble-head figurine. "Okay! Okay. This was a good talk. I'm just, I'm gonna go now, and... yup. See ya later, babe."

For such a large man, he was quick and quiet like a cat, out of the room before Rosalie could even blink. She stared at the closed door a moment for she sighed. It turned into a groan halfway through and Rosalie, with all the dignity of a ballerina, belly-flopped into her bed face first.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Angela's car rolled to a stop in the driveway half a second before the back door was opening and Bella's boot crunched the gravel beneath it. The other two waited in the car for what they knew was to come, watching the brunette step around in front of the car and hold up her arms wide. "Honey, I'm hoooome!"

A heartbeat passed before the loud padding of heavy paws could be heard, and to this day the sight of Charlie bounding around the side of the house towards them still gave Eric a mini heart attack. The large furry beast poured on the speed, tongue lolling out to the side, dangling in the wind as he shot across the yard to Bella.

The girl's grin was impossibly wide, her entire body lighting up with happiness, and she held open her arms that much wider. The beast of a dog launched himself through the air towards her, and both Angela and Eric watched as their friend was tackled to the ground in front of the car.

"Every. Single. Afternoon," Angela said with a tired sigh as she got out of the car. She swung her bag over her shoulder and slammed the old car door shut, letting out a grunt as Charlie's tail smacked her in the gut when she passed.

Eric knew better and gave them a wide berth, carrying Bella's skates and bag inside for her. He turned on the porch to see Bella wrestling Charlie into a hug and sighed, but could not shake the warm look from his face. "Come on, hippie, we don't have all day. Some of us have dinner plans."

"I have not seen my baby all day, Eric, you cold hearted mortal."

Grey eyes rolled up to an equally grey sky and the boy left the door open for his friend. "You're the one who said we needed to talk about something important."

"Fine," Bella grumbled from around the corner in the kitchen.

He jumped up out of his skin, clutching his erratic heart in surprise. "Shit! Bella! You know I hate it when you do that!" He took a deep breath while attempting to keep the stink eye aimed her way. "Wear a bell or something."

She shrugged and opened the fridge, humming while she decided on a snack. Charlie trotted back up to her side, tail wagging happily, and she idly scratched the top of his head. "There's nothing to eat."

"She says after having just finished a large Slushie and a full bag of pretzels on the way home," Angela muttered under her breath at the table. She already had her notebook out in front of her, working on the problems she hadn't been able to finish last period. She warily eyed her friend eagerly breaking into the leftovers in a questionable looking container. "You fiend."

Brown eyes blinked at her, Bella tilting her head back and shaking it until her glasses slid back up her nose. "It's spicy," she said around a large mouthful. "Spices kill bacteria, it's fine."

"Not how that works, but okay." Angela reached out to tap the end of her pen against the table beside her. "I also have plans, so if we could move this right along?"

Eric flopped down into a chair across the table while Bella shuffled over slowly, her full puffy cheeks pouting. "I see how it is," she hummed sadly. "You're trying to replace me, you're so quick to – sdjkfhlas!"

They watched Bella flop onto the table with a loud groan of pain, reaching down to furiously rub at her knee. Angela pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply while Eric stifled his giggles in his hand. "How you thought adding wheels to this equation would ever be a _good_ thing, I'll never know. You're trying to give me a hernia, Bella. I know it. I _know_ it. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Not everything's about _you_ , Angela!" Bella hissed, in pain more than actual agitation or malice. She blindly reached out to yank out her chair and collapsed onto it, bringing her knee up to inspect through the rip in her jeans. "Right on the new bruise!"

The younger girl's forehead _**thunk'd**_ onto the kitchen table, a dramatic and exasperated noise sounding in the back of her throat. "I swear to God, Bella, I will _drown_ your cactus if you don't just spit it out."

"No, don't!" Bella whined, head whipping up to look at the row of cacti on the back of the table near Angela. "Look, one of them has a little yellow flower hat. Isn't that cute?"

"Begin the meeting or the hat wearing cactus is my first victim!"

Brown eyes widened in alarm and Bella held up her hands. "Okay! Okay. Be cool. Be. Cool. It's not a big deal, I just wanted to let you guys know that there are a bunch of vampires lurking around the school."

Eric's head tilted to the side, face scrunching up in confusion. He glanced to Angela whose face had gone impressively blank, and back to Bella. Bella, who was digging into her leftovers like she'd just told them she was going to wear a coat tomorrow. "Lurking... what? Vampires?" he asked for clarification, glancing back at Angela. "Vampires. Real vampires. Actual ones. From a book."

"Not from a book, Eric, from Seattle," Bella corrected with an adorably serious face. "If they were from a book, it would not be worrisome."

"So it's worrisome?" Angela asked. "You're worried?"

Eric held up his hand. "Wait, hold on, I'm not over the _vampire_ part. What does that mean?"

Bella glanced at Angela. "On a scale of one to ten, I'm sitting at a comfortable three." Then to Eric. "Bodies frozen in time, sustained on blood, sparkle in the sunlight vampires."

" _Sparkle_ in the sunlight? Like a second grader's art project?"

Her eyes lit up. "Ooooh, tell one of them that! Tell Rosalie!"

"Murder Face? Hell no! Eric, you keep your mouth shut around them," Angela hissed and turned her glare to Bella. "Stop causing trouble, Miss Mischief."

Again, Bella held up her hands. "I just thought you guys would want to know."

"What do they want?"

"Are they going to eat us?"

Bella shrugged, scrapping the bottom of the leftover dish. "Upon first inspection, they appear to be pursuing higher education. As for whether or not you're on the menu... I'm not too sure, actually," she said thoughtfully, tapping the fork against her chin. "They have _golden_ eyes, which is weird. I've never seen that."

"Something _you've_ never seen? I'm impressed."

The brunette nodded vigorously, eyes wide and earnest. "Yes! I am too! A curious coven we've stumbled upon, it will require more study."

"But they're good, right?" Angela asked. She glanced at Eric, shared an anxious look with him, and back to Bella. "Or at least better than the wolves?"

Like someone dropped a bucket of ice water on her, Bella's entire demeanour changed. Those happy eyes aged years before them, dark and closed off. "Yes," Bella answered flatly and pushed up to her feet. "I won't keep you from your prior engagements, I just wanted you to have all the facts. You don't have to worry, you are safe with me. Always."

The two young adults listened to her bedroom door slam shut with a silence-shattering crack. Eric clicked his tongue and reached across the table to swat at Angela's hand. "You just had to bring up the wolves."

"I just wanted to know!" Angela whisper yelled with wide eyes. "You don't go into a situation involving vampires _blind."_

"Well now you know, nosey."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

She knew it was going to be a long day. She knew when Alice came zipping around her and down the stairs, giggling like a little mad demon child. She _really_ knew when Rosalie, moments later, went thundering down after her with a screech not unlike a dying pterodactyl, full of an _un_ dying rage.

Esme stopped in the middle of the spiral staircase, hand on the rail, a deep sigh heaving her shoulders.

By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, the front door was hanging wide open, and Jasper was pulling himself out of the wall. "Lord, give me strength," Esme muttered towards the ceiling before helping the poor boy brush off the drywall from his shoulders. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yes?" He looked up with disbelieving eyes, ones that were still a little bit dizzy. "I mean yes. Sorry. About the wall and... and Alice."

"What did she do this time?"

His hands rose up to latch onto his hips. "I don't even know, to be honest, but I can _feel_ the diabolical mischief radiating off of her."

"She's tormenting Rosalie," Edward said as he breezed past them to the kitchen.

Standing in the doorway, Esme watched the two blur around the yard, blonde darting after black. Into the woods, out of the woods, over the cars, back into the woods. "How?"

"She arranged flowers in a heart outside of Rosalie's door."

A single brow rose ever so slowly, Esme's curiosity piqued. "That's it? Those beautiful flowers from yesterday?"

"They have significance," Edward informed them when he returned, also stepping out onto the front porch to watch his siblings. He glanced to the side at Jasper and reached up to pick out a piece of the wall from one of his golden curls. "Here you go."

Jasper just stared at him while he took the offered little bit of wall. "Thanks?"

A little gasp escaped from Esme's lips, watching as Alice came rocketing back out of the woods just a little too fast. Like, perhaps, her daughter had been _thrown_ out of the woods. From her _other_ daughter. Little monsters. Alice flipped mid-air, fingers dragging across the top of Emmett's jeep, and she landed on her feet on the other side, with a little twirl at the end.

"Show off," Emmett boomed from the floor above them, leaning out the window. "You better not have scratched my baby."

Alice stuck her tongue out at him, blurring up to the porch to hide behind Esme when Rosalie stepped out of the woods. "She's after me, momma."

"With reason, I hear," Esme said in a tired voice.

There was a brief pause and Edward's lips curled up. "Yes, but not _good_ reason!" Alice countered.

"Why are you giving your sister flowers, Alice?" Esme asked. She watched the sulking blonde get into the back of Edward's volvo, slamming the door and crossing her arms while she remained glaring at the pixie.

Alice shrugged her deceptively delicate looking shoulders and followed Esme down the porch towards the jeep. Emmett joined them moments later, handing Esme her bag and papers. "They were meant for her."

"From whom?"

"That's a secret. Apparently, we're a secret keeping family."

Emmett guffawed while Esme clicked her tongue, the three of them piling into the jeep and following the volvo out of the driveway. "People are entitled to their privacy, Alice," Esme chided. She glanced in the side rearview mirror to see Alice smirking in the back seat, humming to herself. Swapping to look at Emmett, she saw his own curiosity, and sighed. "Okay, who are they from? Did someone outside of the family get Rosalie flowers? Does Rosalie have a _friend_?"

"Worse!" Alice gushed and leaned forward into the front of the jeep. "She has an admirer!"

Holding her face in her hands, Esme groaned. "We're going to have to move again. I just finished settling in, and now I'm going to have to wait for a new semester to start. Has nobody _warned_ the poor boy? Has he not _spoken_ to her?"

"Oh, Esme," Alice tsked and shook her head. "The _girl_ in question has not only been warned, by Rosalie herself, but seems to genuinely _appreciate_ the bitchiness that is my dear sister."

Jaws fell open, Esme's mind reeling while Emmett's went to an, admittedly, raunchier place. " _Hot!"_ he sang under his breath.

On her sister's behalf, Alice smacked the giant boy in the back of the head. Esme clicked her tongue again, aiming a sharp look at Alice, who grinned and sat back in her seat. "A girl, you say?" she finally said.

"Indeed. We need to stop on the way home to purchase a rainbow flag to hang outside Rosalie's bedroom window."

Esme's lips tugged down in a frown. "Stop instigating fights with your sister, Alice. She is clearly having a difficult time."

"She's having a dumb time being dumb. No offence, Emmett, but this girl is literally _perfect_ for Rosalie!" Alice insisted with a genuinely frustrated pout.

Emmett shrugged. "Gotta admit, I was readying myself to hide my sourness at losing my Rose to another dude, but a chick? I am, without a doubt, totally on board. Not only will I be supportive, but I'll also bring the camera."

This time it was Esme who smacked him upside the back of his head. "Don't be crude!" she reprimanded him.

"She is _extraordinarily_ gorgeous," Alice agreed, leaning into the front again. "Rosalie has excellent taste and – ouch!"

Esme reached back to flick Alice's ear painfully. "Worth beyond beauty, Alice! Do not perpetuate shallow mindsets."

Emmett rubbed the back of his head while Alice rubbed her ear, each Cullen child sulking in their seat with a mild pout on their faces.

The silence stretched on for a few minutes. Trees whipped by them on either side of the highway, music filling the jeep and battling against the dreary atmosphere of the day. Esme fiddled with the clasp on her bag until her curiosity could be tamed no longer and she angled in her seat towards the others. "So, does Rosalie _like_ this girl?"

"I..." Alice's face fell, brows tugging together. "I don't actually know. I think she'd really rather not, but it's not as if one has control over these things."

"We all know how much Rosie hates not being in control."

"And how hard she will fight for it," Esme agreed with a thoughtful frown. "What do we know about this girl?"

"Her name is Bella."

"And?"

Emmett glanced over his shoulder at the pixie, Alice leaning back in her seat again. Esme's eyes found her and she shrugged. "Her name is Bella. Oh! She owns a comic shop!"

"What makes you think she's perfect for Rosalie then?" Esme questioned.

"Um..." Alice stared down at her thighs, fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "Because... she... makes Rosalie engage?" The others looked at her with mild intrigue. "It's hard to explain, if you could just _see_ her reaction to this girl, you would understand."

"Are you sure you're not just excited at the prospect of a new family member, Tink?"

Esme hummed. "This is a delicate situation, to be sure, Alice. Tread carefully and take care you not overstep, you must be patient."

"I am super patient, Esme, I'm a grown woman. I simply want to gently ease into a friendship with Rosalie's future wife."

"Alice..."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _Oof!"_ Bella landed on her back with a thump, arms wrapped around the little stone pixie that landed on top of her. She blinked and golden eyes appeared before her with a wide grin, ink black halo of hair tickling the sides of her face. "Ah, Tiny Wall! How are you?"

"Hello, Best Friend!" Alice sang. She shifted her weight on her hands, glancing down between their bodies and to the clunky skates on Bella's feet. "I think you should invest in some pads, you seem to fall quite a bit."

Bella nodded seriously. "Strange how that happens when tiny torpedoes tackle you off your feet. What – what, is this glitter?"

"Here, let me help you up," Alice declared as she got to her feet, small hands grabbing for bigger, warmer ones.

"Oh, that's okay, I nyaagh! And I'm up!" Her hands grabbed Alice's shoulders while she stabilized on her skates, getting her feet underneath her. "Thus I am welcomed back into the verticle world with open arms. Goodbye, horizontal nightmare land."

Alice's head tilted to the side, golden eyes crinkling with happiness. "You're weird," she said quietly, eyes roaming over the girl. The girl in a bright yellow hoodie that had ears and a monster face atop it, fabric teeth dangling down to the top of her large glasses, and those sleeves cut off yet again.

Making a show of pointedly staring down at Alice, Bella's eyes dragged over the pixie. The pixie and her dark tie dye vest over a piano skirt, the hem trimmed with piano keys that matched her tights. "The pot said to the kettle."

"I am quirky," Alice countered with a raised, challenging eyebrow. "You are odd."

Humming, Bella tapped her chin before digging around in her bag. "Yes, but I come bearing gifts so people usually tolerate it." With a triumphant noise, she pulled out a pale little flower crown that she dramatically placed atop Alice's head.

Barely containing her glee, Alice vibrated in place. "Bella, do you know what this means?"

"Nothing good, I'd wager," she muttered with bewilderment at the vampire's clear excitement. "We're betrothed?"

"In another life. _Bella._ This means we're _actually_ best friends now."

"The _horror."_

"Bella!"

"Tiny Wall!"

"Bellaaaaa!"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, I have to go catch up to Aphrodite before class starts. Catch you later, Best Friend!"

Alice watched her go, her skating much more graceful today than it had been the previous day.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Halfway across the campus, Bella finally caught up to the blonde. She swivelled around on the skates, coming up beside the vampire as she rolled backwards. Her flirtatious wink turned into delighted surprise that she was still upright. "Holy crap, I'm amazing at this. I'm like the god of skating." She gasped suddenly, a lightbulb going off overhead. "And nobody's around to challenge my dibs. Hello, career change!"

"What are you even saying?" Rosalie finally snapped.

"Oh, it's mostly just noise to get a reaction out of you." She offered a rather large, lopsided grin that Rosalie glared at. "Good morning."

"Get lost."

"My morning has been _fantastic_ , thanks for asking," Bella replied with a nod. She swivelled again, facing front, and pushed off the lamp post they went around to catch up to Rosalie's brisk walk. "I had an apple at breakfast that was a little... ehh, but how we react in the face of adversity defines us, right?"

Shoulders rose and fell in a tired sigh. "Adversity being a subpar apple?"

"You just get me."

"Now if I could just get you to walk off a cliff."

Bella laughed, the sound warm and full and genuine. Rosalie's insides swirled, a tingling sensation settling over her body like a blanket. "Someone's not a morning person! What's wrong, wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Burn your eggs?"

"Why will you not leave me be?" Rosalie asked with a gruff voice, the scowl on her face powerful. She stopped suddenly, so suddenly Bella almost toppled over when she tried to stop just as fast. "I have given you _no_ reason to pursue conversation, I have quite clearly told you to leave me alone."

"Well, I-"

"I _don't. Care."_ Rosalie snarled. She stalked forward threateningly, grabbing the collar of Bella's sweater to pull her close. Her senses were invaded with _f_ _reesia_ and more _warmth_ , always that warmth that just surrounded the girl, that beckoned Rosalie's cold, cold heart in. "I don't care what you have to say, I don't care what you think, I don't care for your pathetic little antics, I just want to be left alone. Do you understand? _Leave me alone."_

Brown eyes stared back at burning amber, an open face inches away from a closed off one, hot facing off against cold, polar opposites drawn together. Bella licked her lips, Rosalie's eyes darting down and back up quickly, warm fingers reaching up to push her glasses up her nose. "I'm sensing some reluctance to this friendship."

Black swirled into amber. "You infuriating little-"

"Hey, sorry," Bella said suddenly. Quietly. Softly. The grin on her face was gone, eyes probing, observing, thoughtful, and cautious. They studied the black. "I didn't mean to push, I just... heh, you are compelling. Listen, if you really want me to leave you alone, I will. I'm all about consent."

Rosalie's jaw slammed shut again, eyes narrowed in a glare and flickering all over Bella's face. She remained silent.

Warm fingers slid over the marble fist clenching her hoodie, gently easing Rosalie's hand open. The vampire swallowed painfully, her jaw clenched tight, her posture stiff, mind torn between wanting to retreat and wanting to attack. Fingertips dragged along her palm, over her wrist where a pulse once beat, before the two lost contact altogether.

Bella rolled backwards with a small, apologetic smile. "I don't want to cause trouble, I promise. I was just... curious. Take care, Aphrodite."

By the time her weird, rollerskating, mystery angel disappeared into one of the buildings, Rosalie finally moved. She stared down at her open palm, eyes tracing the path Bella's fingers left.

 **.**

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 **.**

 **Apologies about the late update. I was lazy and then I was sad and then I was fixated on the fuckin' rude things that anon said about species and then I pulled a classic Bella and went riding and crashed my bike in a trench and then I spent a couple hours laying there covered in mud and hoping the sun would dry me off and THEN I finally sat down and wrote this chapter.**

 **I don't know how I feel about it. I mostly like it but the bad thoughts linger but like fuck them. Okay. I like it. It's all good. Lot's of shit happened this chapter, I feel like. Good Guy Emmett. Edward's a lil nerd. Esme's had enough of yo' shit. Alice is MY LOVE MY ONE TRUE LOVE I LOVE HER. Rosalie just boarded the denial train. Bella's is weird. Lot's o' shite!**

 **Either way, I hope you enjoy and if you don't, be fucking constructive not rude. Most of you are lovely and I love you and don't ever change, you're perfect. Especially waytoointothisGuest. Ya gave me some DAMN FINE ideas, mate. **

**peace**

 **paige (the sleepless/mildly injured)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

 _I was just... curious._

Curious.

She was just curious.

Just.

Curious.

Not that it mattered in the end, anyway, because it didn't. It didn't matter at all. Who cares if the girl is curious? Not Rosalie. Frankly, where Bella's interests lay, was the _last_ thing on Rosalie's mind. _Anything_ about Bella, relating to her, was just... so far from Rosalie's thoughts. Absolutely. Because she didn't care. She didn't. She even told Bella that she didn't care.

 _I told her I didn't care because I don't._

Blank amber eyes, staring ahead at the chalkboard unseeing, blinked slowly.

 _I told her I didn't care._

And now Bella was gone. Just like that. Poof. As if she'd never been there to begin with. Lunch had come and gone, without even a sighting of the brunette. Instead, she had spent her lunch sitting at their picnic table with her siblings, suffering Alice glaring a hole into the side of her head for an hour. As she spent the next lunch hour. And the next. And the next. All through her first week and a half of school. So, basically, everything was as it should be, everything was back to normal. Or, as normal as it could get because, apparently, Bella didn't even have to actively be _in_ her life, to affect it.

Things were different now, and everyone could feel it. Their routine had been shaken up, the rut this family had firmly set themselves into, after years, and years, and years of repetition had been shattered. The course of their lives, though not dramatically, had been _i_ _rrevocably_ shifted. And now they wouldn't stop _looking_ at her. Watching her. Waiting for... God, she didn't know, but she could feel it. She could _feel_ it. Was this what Jasper dealt with every day? If so, she finally understood why he always looked nauseous. One afternoon and it was enough to make her sick.

Why were they looking at her? It's not like this was her fault. It's not like she _asked_ Bella to come crashing into her life, suddenly and without warning, catching them all off guard. And it didn't make sense, if she sat down and thought about it, which she had-

Not that she would _ever_ admit it to anyone.

-that the girl could have such impact after _three. Damn. Days._ That's it. Three days. A couple of hours, really, because they hadn't spent any significant amount of time together. Not really. Lingering in someone's mind, haunting their thoughts, that didn't count.

So, yes, reasonably speaking, Rosalie was in the right here. Or so she told herself. It was illogical to have such a severe reaction to a single person with such limited exposure, which meant that the rest of the family was being dramatic for the sake of being dramatic.

As per usual.

Edward was probably behind it, melodramatic, brooding Phantom that he was.

Besides, what did it matter? Her original point. It didn't _matter_. She had Emmett. She loved Emmett. Emmett was everything she'd ever needed and, okay, so Bella was... interesting. She was weird and new and captivating, charming and silly but not in that vexing way most people were, but actually mildly amusing. That didn't mean anything. It just meant she had charisma. Who needs charisma? Who needs eyes that held such light, such laughter and warmth, while simultaneously hinting at a darkness so great, so vast that Rosalie's gut flipped each time she met that gaze, like the very earth itself was yanked out from under her?

Who needs to feel like they've been struck by lightning, like they've taken their first breath in a few years shy of a century? Like their heart, that had been cold and still for so, so long, finally woke up and started beating again, every time their eyes locked?

Not her. Not Rosalie Hale. No, no. All she needed was Emmett. Good, reliable, safe Emmett.

Her phone buzzed on the corner of the desk, loud enough to make the students around her look over, and the teacher at the front of the room paused in his lecture. A golden brow rose in a challenge and she heard the man's heart stutter in his chest before he quickly looked away again, and she picked up her phone.

 **Call: b.o.m.e**

 _ **I saw something.**_

A roll of her eyes, pale fingers dancing over the phone's keyboard to reply that she simply did not care. Her phone buzzed a second time before she even finished.

 **Call: Dumb Hair**

 _ **It is no crime, nor something to be ashamed of, to feel alive again, Rosalie. In fact, the very opposite. A precious treasure to be cherished.**_

 _ **P.S please change my contact name in your phone or provide constructive criticism. Is it too big? Too red? Not tall enough?**_

Sometimes Rosalie truly missed the old flip phones and the satisfied feeling one got when snapping them closed. With a sigh, she slid her phone back into her pocket, and collected her books a moment before the bell rang. She breezed past the others students, out into the quickly overrun hallway, rubbing her temple and the dull ache that was forming there.

Emmett's comforting presence fell over her like a protective blanket. His sheer massive size blocked her from most people's view, and them from hers. His grin, from cheek to cheek, was happy and serene and everything she loved about him, but...

But it felt empty. Hollow. There was no... gravitational shift, no disorienting tilt to the universe. Just Emmett, staring back at her, eagerly and expectantly. Waiting for her. Waiting to respond to her. Waiting _on_ her. Putting himself, his life, on hold.

For her.

"Remind me again why we subject ourselves to this pointless endeavour?" she asked casually and leaned back against the lockers. "Why am I pursuing a _fourth_ degree in mechanical engineering?"

The large boy's face scrunched up in confusion and deep thought, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. Golden eyes widened and he grinned. "Oh! Because new knowledge is continuously discovered and fields we once covered have shifted, changed, and been added to. You're not pursuing another degree, you're pursuing new knowledge!"

Rosalie blinked at him. "You're not allowed to mock Esme for being 'a nerd' anymore."

As Emmett launched into a speech to compare the degrees of nerd between himself and their mother, Rosalie caught sight of movement over his broad shoulder. Her gaze drifted, dragged up and around, cutting down through the hallway to her target... and her jaw clenched.

Looking all too comfy in a UW hoodie (was she _allergic_ to sleeves?!), her hair up in a messy bun, and skipping the skates for an equally clunky pair of combat boots, Bella stood by the stairs. She clutched a clipboard in her hands stained with ink and paint, eagerly pointed to the page she was discussing, and excitedly telling a fellow student about some new Green Initiative.

The other student herself didn't seem nearly as interested in the initiative as the girl who was explaining it to her. Every other thing Bella said, she was laughing – loud and obnoxious, Rosalie found, but actually more of a soft chuckle – and touching Bella's arm. With each laugh, Bella's dark eyes crinkled in happiness, her smile stretching up into a grin. How did one person command such elation?

Another laugh, another lingering touch. Fingers tracing the vines along Bella's arm while Rosalie's oblivious little human continued to rattle on about petitions for a more extensive recycling program. The girl's cheeks were painted pink, a shy glint to her eyes, and she finally tugged on the large front pocket of Bella's hoodie. "If I give you my name for your petition, will you give me your number for my phone?"

Dark eyebrows shot up in surprise, large glasses sliding down Bella's nose as she whipped her head up to look at the girl in mild alarm. Her jaw opened but no noise came out, while Rosalie's clenched so tight she wasn't totally certain there weren't resulting spiderweb cracks.

It's not like she blamed this girl. This dense, grating, obnoxious girl who couldn't take a hint and just _fucking leave Bella alone._ It wasn't her _fault_ because Rosalie understood the allure all too well. The pull that dragged you in before you even knew you'd been caught.

 _That_ pull. Oh yes, she knew it.

Part of her wished she could blame the Mate Instinct, that it was all nature and nothing more. That she had no choice, and, she supposed, it was partially true. She really did have no choice, but it wasn't because nature dictated it. While resisting Bella was a lot like trying to resist a sunset, it was also a lot like trying to resist relief. Who, in their right mind, fought against something that felt so good?

Rosalie Hale, apparently, but that was a whole other story. A whole other mess that she simply did not have the time nor patience to get into.

No, she was too busy trying to remember why you didn't just go around ripping out the throats of insufferable, obnoxious little humans in the middle of a school hallway.

Alas, Alice had her back, as she usually did. Before Bella could form words to actually speak aloud and before Rosalie could firmly decide if she was or was _not_ going to commit murder on a Tuesday afternoon, Alice jumped into action. Literally.

The pixie, who'd spotted Bella, and then her sister, ducked underneath the railing of the stairs she was descending. Where Bella happened to be standing next to. Wrapping her legs around the taller girl's hips and hooking her arms over her shoulders, Alice rested her chin atop Bella's head and hugged her friend tight. "Bella!"

Another smile broke out across Bella's face and she rolled her eyes up to peer at Alice as the pixie leaned forward to look down at her friend. "What up, Al!" Bella greeted happily. She looked back to the other student who shuffled back, appearing much more uncomfortable than before. Whether because her _moment_ was stolen, or the faint instinct of a prey in the presence of its predator, Rosalie didn't know but she appreciated it all the same. "Sarah, this is Alice."

A smirk curled at Alice's pale blue lips, her deceptively dainty hand held out for Sarah to shake, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Charmed, I'm sure."

"Um, hi. Maybe," the girl hummed, "maybe I'll see you around campus later, Bella. I have to meet my friends for lunch."

A little frown marred Bella's happy face, but she shrugged (with Alice on her back, to boot) and nodded. "Okay. Maybe I can get their signatures, too. See you later, Sarah," she said cheerily, shoving her glasses back up her nose. The two watched Sarah go, a haste to her steps as she navigated the crowded hallway. Rosalie bit back her growl as she passed. "Well, that was weird."

"I thought it went well," Alice said, resting her chin on the top of Bella's head again as she scooted further up the tall girl's body. "Bella, you've been ignoring me and now you're trying to replace me with _Sarah,"_ Alice spat the name out like it was sour.

Bella only snorted, looking down to her petition again. "I am not," she muttered while she tucked the pen back in her bag. "On both accounts. I just saw you on Friday."

"Only from across the parking lot! Bella! We only waved!" Alice cried indignantly. She tightened her grip on her friend, a powerful pout on her face that Bella could not see. "I don't understand why you're punishing _me_ , _I_ didn't do anything wrong."

Hugging the clipboard to her chest, Bella huffed and tried to peer up at the pouting pixie. "Nobody did anything wrong, I'm not punishing anyone. I'm just trying to respect your sister's wishes."

"About leaving her alone."

"Yes."

"What about _me?!"_

Her mouth opened and closed again. "Would it help if I let you tackle me off my feet more often?"

"Yes!" Alice exclaimed brightly. She bounced on the girl's back, leaning down to press her cheek to a much, much warmer one. "Bella, as your best friend, you're obligated to schedule more time for me."

Bella snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue. "Gah, the fine print will get you every time. Alright, I think I can squeeze you in Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."

"It's not enough, but I'll take it," Alice said just as seriously. "Also, I say this because I love you, but you can do much better than Sarah."

Hip jutting out, Bella held up her finger. "First of all, Sarah is an incredibly nice girl. I could do _much_ worse than her. Secondly, I love you too. Thirdly... _where_ is all this glitter coming from? You have _nothing_ sparkly on you, where does it come from?!"

"You love me too?!" Alice echoed with wide eyes. As affectionate as she was, Alice was used to telling people she loved them. Paired up with her visions, she often jumped the gun, knowing she would _eventually_ love someone, and therefore argued pointless linear timelines dictating her emotions, thus simply claiming to love people as she met them.

Often she was met with confusion, skepticism, and outright refusal. Never was she met with immediate acceptance, and _reciprocity_ was simply... she was blown away.

"Of course, Tiny Wall," Bella replied cheekily with another happy smile that crinkled her eyes.

Still dazed, Alice's chin rested on the girl's shoulder while her mind reeled. "I wasn't expecting that," she murmured blankly, thrown off by surprise. A rare occurrence that she was still trying to get used to, to understand. "Most people don't give their affection so freely."

Bella's voice was soft, quiet, and held a tone the vampire had never heard before. "How sad. My," she coughed, "family are _ruled by emotion_ , or so it's been said. We're very, tch, sensitive, I suppose."

"That sounds lovely," Alice hummed happily.

"Until it's not."

"What does-"

"So does she know I can still _see_ her?" Bella asked with an amused chuckle. With a start, Rosalie realized that their gazes locked, straight down through the sea of students in the hallway. She'd been caught staring. Pale fingers, splashed with red, orange, and yellow, wiggled in way of greeting to her. Rosalie's eyes narrowed into a glare, a scowl sliding onto her face, and she quickly looked away to the locker she was leaning beside. Bella's shoulder's drooped. "Frustrating."

Alice sighed. "Tell me about it."

Back down the hall, Emmett looked between his girlfriend and her possible mate -and yes, he struggled with the complications that came with that sentence, not to mention the moral ambiguity- and shrugged. "I'm gonna go say hi."

"No!" Rosalie gasped softly, whirling around to grab the hem of his shirt. She shuffled closer to him when he took a step that way, eyes wild and thoughts erratic. She didn't know _why_ , exactly, she was so against Emmett meeting Bella, but she was. She definitely took issue with the two of them meeting, interacting.

"Why not?" he whined lowly. "You, Ed, Tink, and even Esme have all met her. It's dumb that you're keeping Jazz and me away."

A growl tried to work its way up her throat and she swallowed painfully. "Esme only teaches her class, she's respecting my request to not approach Bella, much like you should be. Edward and Alice... ugh, befriended her before I could stop them, though even Edward has graciously distanced himself."

"Yeah, but _why?"_ Emmett huffed. He turned back to look at Rosalie, an impressive pout on his handsome face. "I don't get it. She seems cool, Rosie. Why don't you want us hanging out with her?"

"Because I-" Rosalie took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "Emmett, just stay away from her."

Gold met gold, neither one wavering or blinking, both steadfast in their stubborn ways. Rosalie waited for the inevitable cave. He always caved. Always gave her what she wanted. Always put her first. Always-

"No."

Her jaw slackened, scowl smoothing out into astonishment. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said no," Emmett reiterated. He stuck his chin in the air, hands on his hips. "I wanna talk to her and you can't give me a good enough reason not to, so I'm going to talk to her. Unless you care to divulge why you're so adamant she not be in our lives?"

Stormy silence met him and he grinned, turning on point to march down towards his sister and her new best friend. Rosalie watched him go, a muted rage in her chest that was quickly being overtaken by curiosity.

Emmett rejected her. Okay, not her, but something relating to her, and that was just... _unheard of._ Emmett always gave in. It was as sweet as it was infuriating, and he had become predictable in his submission. So unlike how he was when they first met; brash, bold, unwavering, and unapologetic about who he was in every way. It's what drew Rosalie in to begin with, and she hadn't realized just how _effectively_ she'd crushed that.

And now here it was, a sneak peak at the old Emmett, all because he wanted to talk to _Bella._ It couldn't have been a coincidence that all these changes in her family were connected to the girl... could it? Would things have always turned out this way, or were they all simply reacting to Bella?

Deciding she didn't care (read as: was nervous) to see what would transpire between the two brunettes when Emmett finally reached the other two, Rosalie spun on her heel and stormed down the hallway to the exit.

Still climbing her friend like a tree, Alice eagerly waved Emmett over when he got close. Her eyes danced with amusement and excitement, enough to be reflected on the giant's face, and Emmett bounced to a stop. "Ali-Cat, introduce me to your friend-"

"Best friend."

He rolled his golden eyes and held out a large hand to Bella. " _Best friend._ Hey. I'm Emmett."

"Ah, Aphrodite's boyfriend." Brown eyes roamed up and down his figure and Emmett had the sudden urge to squirm, like he was being sized up, and something in the back of his mind became alarmed. His spine straightened, fingers twitching, and he was surprised to find that his Fight or Flight instinct was flaring up.

He let out a chuckle that could have been confused as a nervous bubble of noise coming up out of his chest. "Hah, yeah, that's me. And you are?"

"Inevitable."

Alice's eyebrow rose and Emmett glanced at her and back down to Bella. The grin on his face faltered, but he forced it back twice as bright. "Uh... heh, what?"

"Call me Bella, it's nice to meet you." She flashed him a much brighter grin of her own, vigorously shaking his hand until he relaxed. She squinted up at him, the curl of her lips charming and friendly. "My god, you're big."

His smile came easier, and a little cockier. Just as she released his hand, he lifted his arms to flex his, admittedly, impressive muscles. "Tink, she's a keeper." He shot her a lopsided grin, reaching out to playfully pat her shoulder. "You and I are gonna be good friends, Boo."

"Eventually, yes, I think we'll get there," Bella agreed earnestly, nodding fiercely. "I'm sorry about the rough patch we gotta wade through first though."

"Rough patch?"

Elegant, dark brows tugged together, her lips pursing ever so slightly in the barest hint of a pout. "Yes. You seem like a very great guy, a supremely good dude, but like I said. You're big. You're a very big obstacle."

His own face scrunched up in confusion again. "Wait. Obstacle?"

"I wish I could say I was a big enough person to refrain from my jealousy, that I was immune, but I'm petty, Emmett." This time it was her patting his arm, sympathy pouring out of her in waves. "I'm very old, and very tired, and very petty."

"What?" He looked back to Alice, who seemed just as lost as he was, though more curious than confused.

Bella leaned forward and lowered her voice, something... dark lurking in that deep gaze. "I don't like that you've been banging my future wife, dude. I haven't forgiven you yet." Hesitating long enough to let _that_ sink in, Bella shifted backwards again and an easygoing smile latched onto her face. "Anywho, this has been rad, but I've gotta meet Angie and Eric for lunch. Catch you later, Tiny Wall. Nice meeting you, Emblem."

He only nodded as Alice slid off Bella's back. She offered a friendly wink and Alice chuckled, loudly clearing her throat as Bella took a few steps away from them. "Forgetting something?"

Glancing back curiously, Bella looked between the two of them. Clearly lost, she awkwardly shuffled closer. "Oh. Um. Right." If possible, even more awkwardly, she quickly leaned down to kiss Alice's forehead(1). "Goodbye?"

Amusement threatened to drown anyone who gazed into Alice's golden eyes and the grin on her face was bigger than Emmett had seen since her third wedding to Jasper. "Your bag, you weirdo!" Alice laughed, and held up the messenger bag that had been sitting at Bella's feet before.

"Oh!" she gasped and slapped a hand to her head. Cheeks tinged red and Bella scooped up her bag, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I knew that. I was just – expressing my affection?" Her dark eyes slid to Emmett and he barely had a moment to register what she was doing before it happened; warm lips pressed against _his_ forehead chastely. "Goodbye!"

Watching the weird, awkward enigma disappear into the ocean of students, Emmett stood next to Alice with one hand on his hip, the other in his hair, face frozen in bewilderment. "What just happened?"

"I _literally_ have no idea."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Esme held her chin in the palm of her hand, golden eyes lazily flickering back and forth between her daughters as she listened to each argument, each point supporting their own cause or poking holes in the other's. It was hard to stay objective – as her own curiosity ate through her gut like acid through paper, her desire for Rosalie to be happy, to have everything she ever wanted or needed (even if she refused to acknowledge what she wanted/needed). But she tried, she strived for objectivity, because it was only fair, because Rosalie also deserved to have her wishes respected.

Still, Alice made quite the compelling case...

The pixie sighed, her shoulders sagging infinitesimally. The fire in her eyes died out, replaced with a more sincere light, head tilting to the side. She leaned forward against the table, hands splayed out on its surface, to look beseechingly up at her sister. "Rose, putting aside everything else... this isn't about you."

"Yeah, right," the blonde scoffed, arms crossed. "Because you haven't been _tickled pink_ about teasing me the past few weeks." She swallowed down her growl, hand shooting out like lightning, smacking the top of the table with a crack as she turned to Esme. "I have a right to my home, to not be chased out of it because Alice simply wants to _amuse_ herself."

A valid point. Esme looked to Alice, already silently pleading that the psychic would just let it go. "Alice, Rosalie-"

"No!" she stomped her foot. "Well, yes, I understand, and that's fair, but it's not about amusing myself! If I was just teasing her – Rosalie, if I was just teasing you, then yes, I would concede, but I'm not. Bella is my friend, she's _my friend._ I... I don't get that, with each and every move. People think I'm weird and, yes, okay, I know I am, but they laugh _at_ me. Bella laughs _with_ me, she... she _l_ _ikes_ that I'm weird." Alice's brows tugged together as she stared down at the table, trying to put words to how she felt. "It's a coincidence that my best friend happens to be your-" she hesitated as the room filled with a threatening growl, low and deep in Rosalie's chest, "your... _that_ , but she's still my best friend. Separate from your thing. She's my friend and I don't think it's fair that you're trying to stop me from seeing my friend."

Ebony pits stared hard at Alice, Rosalie working her jaw a few times as she stewed over this new insight. As much as she liked to play the cold, stoic ice queen... she hated it when her family hurt. She did absolutely everything in her power to keep them from getting hurt, actually, and when it was _she_ that caused it... Her glared shifted over to their mother, looking to her for guidance.

Esme's eyebrows hiked up her forehead, wide eyes flickering between the two. To be quite honest, both girls made powerful cases. Rosalie deserved to have a safe haven at home where she didn't need to worry about her... situation. Reversely, Alice deserved to see people she cared about, it wasn't fair she be kept from them simply because someone under the roof didn't _like_ her friend.

(or more accurately, _was destined to love_ her friend)

"Well-"

The rigidity of Rosalie's shoulders released, her head hanging. She stared down at the cloth of the table while she gathered herself, weighing each option and the pros to cons of each. If it proved to be too much, she supposed, she could always demand that the girl leave. Alice would have no issue with taking her home. Plus, she could always hide away – not hide, Rosalie wasn't hiding, she could just _avoid_ Bella, up in her room, with her music cranked up to drown out her ridiculous nonsense.

"Fine," she bit out, finally straightening back up and squaring off her shoulders. Alice lit up like a beacon while Esme, too, perked up. "When is she to arrive?"

The doorbell rang throughout the house, echoing down to the dining room they were in. Both Esme and Rosalie gave Alice a tired look that the pixie shrugged at, biting the corner of her grin. "What? I had a feeling you'd say yes."

"You knew? The whole time, you knew, and couldn't just tell me that I'd say yes?" Rosalie demanded.

Alice pouted lightly. "Well, you wouldn't say yes unless we played it out. If I told you, you would have been skeptical, and upset that you'd just blindly say yes, and say no instead. By not telling you that you were going to say yes, I facilitated you saying yes."

"Alice!"

She shot off like a bullet, tearing through the house to the front door while Esme got to her feet. Rosalie stared back at her, trying to decide if she'd just made a mistake, or worse... been fooled into making one. "You cannot deny her cleverness."

"I do not deny it," Rosalie said softly while her fingertips dug into the back of the chair she was gripping. "I begrudge it."

Nodding sympathetically, Esme placed her hand on Rosalie's elbow. "Yes, it probably would have been smart to have Edward here to advocate."

"The bafoon would be biased to her favour over mine."

"It might help if you stopped calling him names."

In a cloud of disinterest and muted hostility, Rosalie made for the front door where she could hear a commotion. "Not worth it."

Following after her, the two came upon the front foyer where most of the family was gathered, off to the side and huddled together. If she had time to appreciate it, Rosalie might have even found it comical; Edward, Jasper, and Emmett's hulking frame hiding behind tiny little Alice, looking on worriedly.

Alas, she barely had time to take in Bella trying to ease her massive bear from the corner of the room. "It's okay, Charlie, they're friendly. You don't have to be scared, they're my friends. Come on, come say hi. I'm sorry, he's a little wary of people, but I didn't think it'd be this ba – yes, hi! Come on!"

Darting around Bella, the beast trotted across the floor, his nails clacking on the polished tiles. Rosalie took a step back, awkward more than wary, and held out her hand, as if to dissuade him. Charlie's tail started wagging the closer her got, until he reached her, circling the blonde, his side pressed against her hip, tail batting her opposite thigh. She stared down into those big brown eyes, his tongue lolling out to the side as he gazed up at her.

Her heart clenched and, despite herself, she hesitantly reached out to pat the top of his head with her fingers.

His tail wagged harder.

"She's outta your league, bud," Bella's voice, warm and full and rich, wrapped around Rosalie like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. Her muscles felt like tingling ooze, her body relaxing without her permission, eyes hooded and raising to catch another set of chocolate ones. Bella stared back at her – not eagerly, but, but _there._ There, matching her look for look, weight for weight, each shift in emotion reflected back at her, never backing down, never hiding away.

Rosalie expected some hesitance, perhaps some fear, at least some awkwardness after demanding the girl leave her alone, but all she found was... Bella. There. Waiting. Expectant. But not pushing, not demanding anything in return, just... patience.

The blonde raised her chin, eyes shifting to over Bella's shoulder, unable to meet her gaze any longer. She heard the girl click her tongue, a hint of a chuckle in her chest that could have passed as a scoff.

"So... I didn't know if I was supposed to bring anything, Alice didn't really mention any details regarding dinner. I thought salad was a safe bet," Bella said with an amused lilt to her voice that brought out her faint accent even more.

Esme's head whipped around to her youngest daughter, Alice shrinking back into her mate and her brothers. "Dinner. Yes. I... I was just about to start it, I apologize. Time got away from me, I hope you don't mind eating a little bit late."

"Not at _all_ ," Bella said, a twinkle in her eye. "I'm in no rush, though I eagerly await sharing a meal with you."

Emmett leaned down closer to Edward's ear. "I mean, that was a weird way to say it, right?"

"Shhh!" the boy hissed under his breath. He stepped forward, holding out his hand politely with a measured, pleasant smile on his face. "It's very good to see you again, Bella."

"Double Dee, hey!" Bella cheered and met him halfway. He was startled into a stiff, motionless statue when she wrapped her arms around his chest, engulfing him in a warm hug. "Just as awkward as I remember," she muttered into his collarbone. "Don't ever change."

She released him, chuckling softly at his shellshocked face, and stepped around him to the others. Emmett surged forward and scooped her up, spinning her around and matching her laughter with his own booming one. "Boo! You didn't tell me you have a pet bear!"

"He's a _dog_ ," Bella whined when he finally put her down, though she held onto his elbow until the room stopped spinning. Her dizzy eyes landed on Rosalie again, the blonde blinking and looking away quickly. Bella sighed, pushing her glasses back up into place, and patted her thigh. "C'mere, Charlie, come meet Big Em."

Rosalie would never, in one thousand years, admit that she felt colder the second Charlie left her side.

Emmett bent over at the waist to slowly and carefully ruffle the top of Charlie's head, his eyes crinkling in happiness, a coo coming from his massive chest. "What kind of dog is he?"

"I, uh," Bella shook her head with a laugh, "I don't know? There's wolfhound in there for sure, bit of mastiff, and something else. Something that gives you such a beautiful, thick coat, hm? Who's my pretty boy?" Bella wrapped her arms around Charlie's large neck and buried her face in his dark fur.

Little, pale hands reached through Charlie's fur to grip Bella's cheeks, lifting her face enough for Alice to peek and meet her dark eyes, crouching on the other side of Charlie. "Hi."

" _Hello."_ Bella's voice was muffled in her dog's fur, eyes shining with happiness.

Alice vibrated with her own excitement and endearment. "You're adorable and I need you to meet my Jasper."

Nodding, Bella sighed deeply and finally straightened back up again, though she kept one hand on Charlie's head. Jasper eagerly awaited her, standing at attention when their eyes met, and held out his hand for her to shake. "It's good to meet you, ma'am."

"And you, Alice's Jasper," Bella agreed, taking his hand in both of hers and shaking vigorously. "I have _so_ many questions for you, about her mainly – I made a list? I forgot it – _oh!_ I just placed your face! Jeez, it's been _bugging_ me for weeks!" Bella slapped her forehead, releasing a relieved breath. The others gave her varying looks of confusion, Jasper's head tilting to the side though his smile broke out into a grin at her exuberance. She blinked and dropped his hand quickly, glancing around the others. "We go to school together, right?"

"I... yes," he said slowly. Confused, but amused. Alice was right.

She snapped her fingers, staring down at her feet, and expertly avoided their eyes. "Knew it. Okay, well, that just leaves this pretty lady over here to meet. Sup, Aphrodite," Bella nodded to her briefly as she passed and Rosalie didn't know if she was relieved or wanted to scream. Bella stopped in front of Esme, a broad smile on her face. "I'm Bella!"

"I know, I teach your History class," Esme said warmly. She took Bella's hand, squeezing gently, affectionately. "You have... a refreshing take on some of the things we've been discussing."

Bella nodded fiercely, so much that her glasses slid back down her nose. "So do you! Oh, your perspective on the French Revolutionary war, it's as if you have intimate knowledge of the entire thing. Like you sat down with one of the men from right in the thick of it, got his personal take. Fascinating, truly fascinating."

Smiles tight, golden eyes shifted, meeting others, and drifting back to Bella. "I appreciate your kind words, honey," Esme said around her too wide smile. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't think you enjoyed my class. You always seem... disheartened and sad throughout my lessons."

Some of that sorrow returned, bleeding into the edges of her dark eyes, a shadow behind her smile. Bella nodded, looking down at their joined hands, and back up with a deep breath. "It's... difficult to realize, to see what people have gone through to get to where they are. All that," she took another sharp breath, "bad doesn't take away from the good, I think that's the point -it wouldn't be worth it otherwise- but reversely, the good doesn't change the bad, either. It happened, and I just... I try to make myself feel it, so I'll never forget it. I think it's important that we don't ever forget it, lest we repeat it."

Unable to resist, Esme pulled Bella into a firm hug. "You're my favourite student. I know we're not supposed to have favourites, but we all do, and you're mine."

"Thank you!" Bella said, more cheerily this time. When she was released, Bella fixed her neon orange bowtie, and Rosalie finally realized what she was wearing.

The eyeroll it produced was severe enough she had to tilt her head back, while she also had to question how she didn't see such bright colours before.

(and deny it was because she was trapped in a gaze darker than the infinite cosmos)

Neon orange jeans and bowtie, with a deep navy blue button up, and dark purple high tops. It was like she was purposefully trying to offend the common eye.

Esme clapped her hands together. "Okay! I need to go get started on dinner so you don't starve on us, Bella. Excuse me."

" _!"_ Alice let out a screech that had everyone wincing, scooping up Bella's hand to hug the girl's arm to her chest and gaze up at her adoringly. "Bella, please let me show you my room?"

With a deep, dramatic sigh, Bella inclined her head to rest her forehead against the pixie's. She hummed, quickly pressing a kiss to those black spikes, and nodded. "Anything for you, Tiny Wall."

Left in their silent wake, watching Charlie follow those two up the spiral staircase, Rosalie felt three pairs of eyes burning into the side of her face. She glanced up at her brothers and Emmett, all of whom had excited, expectant faces. Edward sucked in a happy breath, holding up his finger, "I think-"

"Go to hell, Edward."

Rosalie fled to the kitchen to help her mother.

"I was just going to point out how illogical and petulant she's being."

"Not your place to say it, buddy, and certainly not like that."

 **.**

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 **So 1 there, I friggin' LOVE Brooklyn 99 and I love, love that part. Gina and Jake. Adorable. I love their friendship.**

 **Also, thanks for all the well wishes. I am feeling MUCH better, and I'm getting back on the bike tomorrow. So wish me luck.**

 **I just can't get over the reception for this story, you all amaze me. You're fantastic, don't ever change. I love that you guys love Bella, love Alice, love Rosalie, love Edward, and everyrone else. It's not a big mystery as to what Bella is this time, I just haven't thought of a way to have it come up yet, but I do like hearing you guys guess. Like, I don't know if I should just tell you in a a/n because it doesn't really matter if y'all know now or not, it's not some mystery. Idk.**

 **Anyway, here's another chapter. I like it. I hope y'all like it.**

 **peace**

 **paige (the mildly rested)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

Two hours, Bella had been under the Cullen roof. Whisked away, up to the top floor of the house, where Alice could monopolize her time and have her all to herself. Something Edward desperately fought her on, and Alice was becoming mildly concerned how attached the boy was getting to Bella. Something that Rosalie would, probably, have an issue with in the future.

Not that Alice was one to talk, as she had already declared her love for Bella, and was quickly carving out her _dibs_ on the girl, as it were. No matter what happened in the future, Alice was Bella's friend first, was her initial connection to the coven, and that didn't go away. Not even for mates (if Rose ever got her head out of her ass, that is).

A peculiar creature, her new friend was.

Resting on the plush, white carpet of her bedroom floor, Alice lay on her stomach with her elbows propped up and chin in her palms. She swung her feet back and forth, hooking them at the ankles, bright golden eyes watching her friend with delight and eagerness. She was excited, she was _excited_ , but about what she honestly could not tell you, because for once in her life she didn't know.

Her gift didn't work on Bella.

Delightful.

Simply delightful. Taking a surprise and then doubling it, because, honestly, Bella was not... usual. Alone, she was unpredictable and Alice had a feeling that even if her visions _did_ work with the girl, she would not get many because Bella seemed the type to do things on a whim. The thought warmed Alice's heart and she shook her head, black spikes bouncing as she smiled at Bella.

The girl grinned back, lopsided and charming, even upside-down. On her back, with all of her long, silky, dark locks spread around her, her legs were hooked up and over Charlie's tall back as he snoozed lightly. Bella tilted her head back even farther to gaze fully at Alice, awkwardly reaching out to hold (upside down as well) a little daisy out to the pixie.

Alice giggled and took the flower, tucking it up behind her ear and watched as Bella's dark eyes lit up with joy. "Thank you," she said softly, a little bashfully because... well, to be frank, Bella may just have been the sweetest girl she'd ever met.

"Oh, you're quite welcome, Alice," Bella said happily, eyes crinkling as her cheeks scrunched up. "Thank you for inviting me over to your house, I'm having such a good time."

"Really?" she echoed with wide eyes. Part of her feared that her new friend was bored or simply being polite. It had been _decades_ since Alice hosted a get-together with someone outside of the family. "I'm sorry Edward's monopolizing the good speakers, I'm sure he'd let us borrow them if you asked."

Bella puffed up her cheeks and blew out the air, waving off Alice's apology while simultaneously motioning towards the clunky headphones on the floor between them. They were on the ratty side, looking older than Alice herself, and were quite obviously well-worn. Stickers that had once been stuck on, were faded and ripped, and there was actually a strip of duct tape holding... _something_ together. "It's fine, don't worry about it. I don't want to blast my music and drown anyone out, I just like having it in the background at least."

"Do you quite like music?" Alice asked curiously as she rehooked her ankles in the opposite direction.

"I do!" Bella exclaimed, and rolled onto her stomach. She leaned up on her forearm to turn the screen of her iPod towards Alice, scrolling through one of her many, many, _many_ playlists. "Music is the purest form of expressing one's soul and I've learned _so much_ through it, I've experienced life beyond my understanding. I've fallen in love through it, had my heart broken, broken someone else's. I've experienced loss and grief. Pain, agony, joy, elation, _wonder."_ Dark eyes peered up at Alice over the rim of her glasses, somehow heavy and serious while remaining bright and earnest. "Music may just be my favourite thing about this world."

Alice could not stop the grin stretching across her face as she listened to Bella's impassioned speech. She reached out to place her cool hand over a much warmer one. "I'm sure you and Edward could have a lengthy discussion about it, he's fond of it as well. I am, too, though not to the same degree as the two of you. I like to dance, though!"

"Oh!" Bella perked up, eyebrows hitching up in delighted surprise. "I can't dance, but I'd love to watch you!" She paused, head tilting to the side, dark curtain of hair falling over her shoulder. "Is that a weird thing to say?" Her brows tugged together and she looked off to the side. "I can _feel_ Angela shaking her head at me from somewhere."

"It's a little unusual," Alice laughed.

Bottom lip jutting out, Bella ghosted her fingertips over Alice's wrist. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Why'd you say it like that?"

"Nothing, it's nothing, you're just a very unusual person."

"I-!" Bella sucked in an indignant breath, holding her finger up in the air. "I am _very_ usual."

"Bella." Alice stared at her. "Come on." The brunette refused to blink, dark eyes unwavering. "You pull flowers out of your bag! Who does that?" Not even a flicker. "You're wearing an orange bowtie, Bella. _Your dog is wearing a flower crown, for god's sake!"_

As if sensing the attention, Charlie lifted his large head up, brown eyes blinking sleepily at the two of them. Bella cooed softly, rolling onto her side to reach back and adjust the flower crown on his head. "That's because he's my prince. My pretty, pretty prince. Isn't that right? Yes, it is."

He huffed, dropping his head back onto his massive paws, and Bella turned back to Alice. The pixie held up her hand, as if to emphasize everything that just happened. "It's not as if it's a bad thing," Alice said casually, head tilting to the side. "In fact, it's what drew me to you in the first place, and why we're best friends. I, myself, am not... exactly ordinary."

With the admission came the familiar aching pang of isolation, of being ostracized because of it. Being so different from people, they just couldn't understand her, no matter how hard they tried. When it didn't breed animosity from frustration, it created distance. As a social butterfly and outgoing pixie who loved people, and parties, and events, this was... not ideal. Left out everywhere she turned, denied because she was different.

"Oh, I know," Bella agreed earnestly with a vigorous nod of her head. "You're full-blown _weird_ , Alice."

The pixie blinked slowly, her mind trying to compute the words with the tone and expression on Bella's face. "You look positively gleeful about that."

"I am!" Bella agreed again. She pulled herself closer to Alice, mimicking the pixie's position, purple converse up in the air behind her, and pressed her forehead against Alice's. "I think it's fantastic – I think _you're_ fantastic, Alice!"

Without missing a beat, Alice wrapped her arms around Bella the best she could, hugging her close until the two buried their faces in each other's shoulders. "I've been waiting for someone like you for so long, Bella."

" _I think I have you beat,"_ the girl's words were muffled into Alice's shirt. "This is possibly the most awkward way to hug a person – do you think _skydivers_ hug like this?!"

Alice didn't bother stopping the pearl of laughter at Bella's sudden gasp and excited question. She simply hugged her tighter and thanked whoever was listening that they were set on each other's path.

 **.**

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Awkward smiles were exchanged over plates at the long, polished wood table in the dining room. Normally used to host their formal family meetings, the Cullens were unused to sitting around it for a meal. Honestly, they were unused to sitting around _any_ table for a meeting, but this felt especially awkward. It wasn't the first time anyone in the family had to force down human food for appearances' sake, but by no stretch of the imagination were any of them _good_ at it.

Emmett leaned back up in his seat, having peered down at the bowl of spaghetti in front of him for a solid fifteen second. " _I'm gonna barf, dude,"_ he wheezed under his breath, too quiet for human ears.

" _Manners!"_ Esme hissed behind her smile. She took her time adjusting the silverware beside her plate, each utensil obsessively straight. Holding back her dejected sigh, she glanced over to the side of the table that Bella and Alice were sitting on, catching a pair of brown eyes staring back at her. Endearment flooded her when Bella's cheeks stretched up in a happy grin, fingers pushing her glasses back up her nose, and – God, she could really get used to having the girl around the house. Having such a bright soul positively _beam_ at you each time you caught her eye.

How could Rosalie resist such a delight?

The giant scoffed, golden eyes rolling to the ceiling. " _She can't even hear me, especially not with those headphones hanging around her neck. Good taste in music, though."_

" _Emmett."_

" _Fiiine. Gah."_

Bella shifted in her seat, chewing on the corner of her lip, wrestling back a smile. "I'm sorry, is the music disruptive? I can turn it off."

"No, honey, you're fine," Esme said quickly. She placed the cloth napkin in her lap, smile trembling slightly, and started twisting her fork in the pasta. "We just haven't had anyone over for dinner in a long while, I fear some of us are a little rusty."

Chin tucked to her chest, Bella stared down at her plate and adjusted her glasses again. "Really? You seem the type to have people for dinner often. Perhaps even two or three in a night, if you're feeling particularly famished."

The fork in Edward's hand warped under his grip and he jolted in his seat, looking down at the utensil with wide eyes. His gaze shot up to Esme in time to see her sharp look, and he quickly straightened it back out, staring hard down at his plate as well, while he pushed around his food.

"I once went to _three_ dinners in one evening," Bella continued, seemingly oblivious as she mused to herself, looking back out at the table as she waved her fork through the air. "I have a terrible memory and forgot I'd scheduled all these events in one weekend. Of course, soirees were much more common back then."

"Back when?" Jasper asked curiously from the opposite side of the table. Anything to delay taking another bite.

Dark eyes blinked at him, Bella's head tilting to the side as she spoke slowly. "Back... last... year..."

" _I can't be the only one noticing how oddly she phrases things, right?"_

" _Emmett!"_

The giant huffed, dropping his elbows onto the table and making the dishes jump slightly. He held his chin in his hand, twirling his fork in his own spaghetti, and sighed deeply with a pout.

"This spaghetti is _sublime_ , Mrs Cullen," Bella said sincerely as she sipped at her milk.

Preening, Esme sat a little taller in her seat and beamed at the girl. Surprisingly, Esme hadn't actually cooked a meal herself since... well, she had to have been human. While Rosalie was the baker of the family, and Carlisle the chef (who often prepared feasts to donate around the holidays), Esme would much rather watch the Food Network or go grocery shopping, over the actual cooking. For appearance's sake this time, however, she gave a whack at it with both her blondes supervising and was quite proud of the result. "Thank you, Bella! And please, call me Esme."

"Mrs Esme."

"Just Esme is fine."

"Cullen."

"Or Cullen works, too," the motherly woman laughed as Bella floundered.

"Mrs Esme Cullen Miss – professor."

Holding her forehead in her hand, with a sigh that could exhaust the ancients, Rosalie shook her head. "Are you – good God, are you having a stroke?"

"She's your mom and my professor!" Bella rasped out, her face red, while she squirmed in her seat. The others at the table all shared a laugh at the endearing girl. "What if I call you Esme in class by accident and undermine your authority? Or professor in your home and – nope, already did that. Shoot."

Esme smiled, soft and warm and disarming. "It's fine, Bella. Whatever you feel comfortable calling me, I'm more than happy with."

"Okay," the brunette nodded, eyes refusing to lift from her plate.

Carlisle shifted in his seat, pulling apart a warm biscuit fresh from the oven as he mulled over whether or not he was going to try and eat it. "So, Bella," he said gently, with intrigue. Enough that the girl looked up at him curiously. "As you can see, we have a large family here. Do you have the same?"

"I... that's," she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, huffing slightly as her brows drew together, and Rosalie's gaze snapped down to the tabletop, "that's a little complicated."

The patriarch nodded thoughtfully, though his interest doubled. "Any siblings?"

"Two brothers," she replied in a strangled voice. The darkness crept in around the edges of her eyes again. "Or... one now, I guess."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Carlisle gasped softly. He reached out towards Bella's shoulder, hesitating, wanting to comfort her but not wanting to intrude on her personal space. He settled for a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry for bringing it up."

Bella shook her head, leaning on her elbow against the table. Her eyes traced the patterns Rosalie was swirling with her fork in her pasta, eyes pinned to strong, pale fingers gripping the silver utensil. "It's fine. I l- _ost_ ," she choked out the word and cleared her throat with a pained, tight smile, "him quite some time ago."

The silence after her admission stretched on into eternity as everyone struggled to find something to say other than tired out apologies. Nails clacked against the hardwood floor, and Charlie's heavy head landed in Bella's lap with a thud, his tail batting against Alice's chair. Bella ran her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ears, until a little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

The song playing through her headphones switched, and Bella's back straightened, her entire frame perking up. The shift in her emotion was palpable, _visible_ , and the Cullen clan watched the dark energy around her dissipate into nothing until her joy was shining through again. The small smile on her face grew into her large, trademark grin, and Alice suspected that perhaps it was more than just a fondness that had Bella always playing music on or around her.

"So, what are you taking in school, Bella?" Edward asked abruptly. He looked up from his plate, swallowing a mouthful of spaghetti, and fought to keep the grimace from his face. "I don't believe we share any classes."

"Doesn't look that way," Bella agreed with a little frown and a snap of her fingers. "I would have loved being desk buddies with my best buddy Double Dee. I'm in the middle of getting degrees in Art and Business, I think."

Alice scoffed, shaking her head with a fond smile. "You think?"

"Yes. I – well – last year I filled up my entire schedule with classes that didn't actually go towards either degree I wanted, they were just so interesting, but this time I'm _really_ trying to focus on Art and Business." She shrugged, a happy smile on her face.

"What did you take last year?" Edward asked curiously.

She sighed, long and tired, poking at her food. "The last couple years have been filled with science." She ghosted her fingers over the frame of her glasses, looking up at Edward with mild interest. "I guess, technically, I'm a biochemist now."

"Er, what?" Emmett's fork dropped to his plate with a clang. "You _guess_ you just _happen_ to be a biochemist? Like it's some kind of accident?"

"Well, no. I have a bit of a green thumb, so naturally I'm inclined to study the chemical principles of living things, mainly plant life, and the biological processes of them like cell development, heredity, and growth," she explained rather seriously (and adorably, if you happened to be a particular blonde who was gripping the table to keep from fleeing up to her room). "I _accidentally_ became a biochemical engineer."

"Are you _kidding me?!"_ Emmett deadpanned. He threw his hands up in the air, napkin flailing down to the table. "How is that even possible? How did you not realize you were studying to become a biochemical engineer?"

Looking small and tiny compared to the giant, who was still waving his arms around like a madman, Bella wrung the napkin in her hands. A pout slid across her face. "How am I supposed to study my samples if I don't know how the machines work?!"

"Someone please tell me they're hearing this!" Emmett wailed, leaning on his hands to look around at his family. "There is a biochemist, biochemical engineer sitting across the table from me like it's a regular Thursday."

" _Esme is literally sitting three feet away. She's a civil and geotechnical engineer. Not to mention your girlfriend, who happens to be a mechanical and electrical engineer. You're literally surrounded by engineers."_

Emmett levelled a look at his brother. " _Yeah, but they're vampires. They've been going to school for forever, and they certainly didn't do it by accident."_

Considering this, Jasper inclined his head in surrender and turned his thoughtful gaze on Bella. "How long have you been in university?"

"A while," Bella answered ambiguously. She lounged back in her chair, studying the occupants of the other side of the table thoughtfully. "Going through biochemical sciences, chemical engineering, and all the different courses just to get a Master's was time-consuming, but hey, I've got some to spare so why not."

"Fair," the vampire agreed with a nod. He looked back to Emmett, offering a light shrug, because it all seemed plausible to him. Also, Emmett had the tendency to blow things out of proportion, whether because he was bored or liked to _spice things up_ , as he'd put it, who knew, but Jasper was confident that this was one of those times. Especially because, though he felt the giant fight it tooth and nail, little bits of jealousy seeped out of his brother with every reaction Rosalie tried to hide.

Though unmated, a deep, loving bond had been forged between the two. Time and circumstance had only strengthened it. It was natural that, while Emmett supported Rosalie finding her mate (and wanted to slam his face against the wall like everyone else as she tried so very hard to deny it) he feel the loss, hurt, and grief of losing his lifelong partner.

Jasper had a feeling that the brunettes would struggle with their jealousy of each other for a while to come, but was optimistic neither would let it interfere with their budding friendship. Thus far, they were doing splendidly well, but it was bound to become more complicated as the relationships between the three of them shifted.

Once again, Jasper sent up a grateful little prayer that he'd found Alice long ago.

"I did happen to notice your green thumb," Esme said to counter the lull in conversation. She aimed her fork at Bella's arm, wrestling a bite of spaghetti down, and swallowed roughly. "Carlisle told me of the many plants in your comic shop that I'd love to see one day, and I've spotted your tattoo a few times in class now."

"I'm shocked to the foundation of my being that you decided to deign us with sleeves this evening," Rosalie muttered sarcastically towards her plate.

Rolling up said sleeves, Bella ran her fingers along the ink in her skin. With a flash of pearly whites in an amused grin, Bella caught Rosalie's reluctant eye, and lifted her arms to flex. "Sun's out, guns out, that's my motto."

"It's Washington," Rosalie bit out while her golden gaze lingered on biceps that were surprisingly defined even through her shirt. "The sun is almost never out."

The brunette waved that off with a roll of her eyes and a scoff. "Pfft, don't worry, it's up there."

"That would render your little phrase invalid, as the sun would always be out."

"Thus my guns are always out."

"Yes, but..." Rosalie's jaw snapped shut as brown eyes danced with mirth, a few snickers sounding around the table. Logic she could not argue. Worse yet – _dumb_ logic that she could not argue because by some miracle it actually made a modicum of sense. "What is the _point_ of it?"

Bella shrugged, propping her elbow up on the table to hold her cheek in her hand. It smushed her face adorably, and she gazed at the blonde in sheer content. "I also happen to subscribe to the _if you got it, flaunt it_ mandate. Oh! And man-dates, dates between men, it's cute! All dates are cute, I'm very open to positive experiences. Which reminds me, I'm hosting an LGBT+ fundraiser at my shop next month, and you're all invited."

"Party!" Alice gasped, hopping up onto her knees in the chair. She wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulder, squeezing the grinning girl to her side, and stared out at her family with wide eyes. "We're going – _yes_ , Edward, we're going." She gasped, turning to look down at Bella and shake the girl excitedly, while Bella chuckled up at her energetic friend. "I have the _perfect_ outfit, Bella."

Being shaken, Bella could only struggle to nod, unable to wipe the smile off her face. "I'm so happy for you, Alice."

"Me too!" Alice leaned down to press a chaste kiss on Bella's cheek, lingering there for a moment to lock eyes with Rosalie's black ones. A warning growl rumbled across the table and the pixie smirked against Bella's cheek, leaning back with mischievous eyes. "You could ask Sarah to go, as well!"

Bella hummed with interest, dark eyes sweeping over to Rosalie. Rosalie whose look could set her plate aflame. Bella shrugged again, looking back up at the pixie. "I might just."

"I'm done," Rosalie ground out. She jerked up to her feet, chair screeching back out behind her, and she roughly collected her dishes to take to the kitchen.

Blinking a few times, Bella also got to her feet. "Yes, this was absolutely fantastic, Mrs Professor." Her chin fell to her chest again, a deep, frustrated sigh escaping her. "Damn it."

"Really, honey, _whatever_ you want to call me," Esme insisted behind her laugh. She gently took the plates from Bella's hands. "And guests don't clean up. Hosts do. Would you care for some dessert?"

Bella patted her stomach, eyes crinkling with her grin. "Wish I could, but I am _stuffed._ That was so good, I couldn't stop eating. I should probably go grab my bag from Alice's room anyway, Angela will be here soon to pick me up."

"I could drive you!" Alice offered eagerly.

A frown tugged Bella's lips down. "She's already on her way. Next time, I promise."

"I'll pack up leftovers for you," Esme said with a warm smile, nodding towards the stairs. "Alice, come help me get this all packed up for her before she leaves."

Breaking off from the others, knowing they were all probably eager to empty their unsettled stomachs, Bella and Charlie climbed the spiral staircase to the top floor again. She hummed happily, bopping her head along to the tune playing from her headphones, batting at Charlie's tail in front of her.

Alone with her thoughts, Bella took her time down the hallway, stopping to appreciate each picture that lined the walls. Surprisingly they were mostly of the family, and Bella wondered if they were that fast and loose with their vampiric secret, or if she truly was the first person they'd had over in a long time. Either way, it was very clear that none of these people aged throughout the decades.

Golden eyes in each and every one of the pictures, not a spot of red anywhere she looked. What did it _mean_? Why weren't their eyes red? How did they get the gold? Part of Bella was sorely tempted to ask, to point out that she knew _exactly_ what they were, that she knew probably better than they knew themselves. Which made the whole _golden eyes_ thing extra weird because how did _she_ not know about it?

Of course, if she did that, then she would have to explain _how_ she knew, and that... that was an exhausting conversation. One she _just_ had with Angela and Eric, and, really, once every thirty years was _more than enough_. Besides, worst case scenario, she just had to wait out a human life. That's _barely_ a century. If something were to go wrong, there was no _waiting out_ a vampire, that's a problem you had to deal with head on.

"What do you think, Charlie?" Bella asked, arms crossed over her chest. Her brows furrowed and her head lolled to the side, glancing down at the floor beside her, and the lack of, well, dog. "Charlie?" She spotted his large, furry ass just as it pushed through the cracked open door of Rosalie's room.

Rosalie's room that Alice had shown her _specifically_ to forbid her from entering because Rosalie was _very sensitive_ about it.

"Charlie!" Bella hissed, jerking over to the door and hesitating outside. "Charlie, get out here. Right this second, mister. Hey!" she whisper-yelled, leaning up on her tiptoes to try and peer inside. " _What_ is with the interest in her, dude? I mean, I get it, obviously, but come on. What are you _doing?_ Get out here!"

His massive head popped back up, chin resting on top of blue, silk sheets.

Bella's eyes widened. "Hey! No! Don't... don't you do it. Stay off her bed. I mean it, Charlie. Down! Paw – down – now!" The mighty beast hoisted himself up into the bed and dropped onto the mattress with a large huff, and Bella finally pushed her way into the bedroom with her hands on her hips. "How _dare_ you!" She stormed over to the bed, crouching down until she was eye level with him. "Are you happy? Hm?! Are you proud of yourself? Walking around like you own the place. How's the bed, Goldie Locks?"

Big brown eyes peered up at her, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, and Bella softened.

The stern look on her face turned into more of a pout and she stood back up. "Oh, no. I'm mad at you, boyo. You're not sweet-talking yourself outta this one, my guy. You are in _heaps_ of trouble." His tail thumped against the pillows, knocking them on the floor. "Damn, but that is cute. No! You're a bad boy, a very bad boy." The door creaked open and Bella glanced up, spotting Rosalie's surprised face. "Oh, Aphrodite, sorry. He barged in here and I was just getting him-"

Bella's back connected with the bedroom wall before she could even finish her sentence. A stone body, curvy in all the right places and fitting against hers like a puzzle piece, pinned her to the wall. Hips against her hips, fists digging into the wall on either side of her, Rosalie's snarling face scarcely inches from her own. Pale blonde hair fell in waves around her, black eyes on fire and threatening to consume Bella right then and there.

A beautiful, enraged angel barrelling down on her without hesitation, without mercy.

Bella gazed upon the heavens in reverent awe.

The ground shook with Charlie's heavy landing, his deep growl filling the otherwise silent room. Bella's arm shot up around Rosalie, her finger pointing at the beast, forearm brushing Rosalie's side. " _Tajlus!"_ she commanded breathlessly. Every nerve in her body pooled to the surface of her skin where it came in contact with the vampire, hyper aware of her presence, and craving _more._

 _More, give me more, give me more._

The growling coming from Charlie cut off abruptly, though he did whine low in his chest as he dropped down onto his back legs, sitting obediently.

"There is _much_ more blue in here than I thought there'd be, Aphrodite. It's all so soft-"

An ice grip snapped around her wrists, slamming them up against the wall.

Bella's eyes squeezed shut and she caught her bottom lip up between her teeth, biting it to keep from saying something else dumb. Taking a deep breath, her lungs were filled with the mouth-watering, intoxicating scent that was Rosalie. Something unique, strong, and with the slight hint of, surprisingly, sunshine. Dear god. Rosalie smelled like sunshine.

She was done for.

Bella whined in the back of her throat, hips wiggling against the pressure of vampire's, and felt the grip on her wrists tighten. When she opened her eyes again, hooded black pits stared back at her hungrily. Rosalie's nose brushed against hers, cool breath fanning out over her lips, and Bella's chest seized. " _Rose,"_ she gasped quietly, body instinctively jolting forward, seeking the other out.

Rosalie rested her forehead against Bella's, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as her fangs throbbed. She sucked in a jagged breath, digging her fingers into the wall behind Bella to keep from giving into the warmth, giving into the girl. Giving into the instincts that were screaming through her body.

 _Take her. She's ours. Take her. Takehertakehertakeher. She's ours._

Swallowing down the pool of venom gathering in her mouth, Rosalie leaned down towards Bella's ear. She felt those strong arms come up around her, warm palms resting on her hips, and groaned lightly in her chest. So difficult. Why did Bella have to make everything about Rosalie's life so difficult? The blonde could not help herself from dragging her lips against Bella's cheek, felt a shiver roll through the brunette's body.

Bella's staccato breath seized in her chest when Rosalie opened her mouth to whisper in her ear, " _Get out of my room."_

Before Bella knew what was happening, Rosalie was pulling away. She was left cold, empty, and gazing at the spot where the blonde used to be. Blinking the heaviness from her eyes, Bella looked up around the room and spotted Rosalie in the corner by the window. Black eyes glared at her, the scowl on her face furious and cold. Bella swallowed, taking a shaky step forward. "I just-"

"Get out!" Rosalie snapped. Her hand jerked up to point towards the door and she turned her head, breaking their connection. "Now!"

Still shaken, Bella could only mindlessly comply. In a daze, she patted Charlie's head and staggered out of the room. Her mind whirled as she grabbed her bag from Alice's room, going through the events that just transpired over and over. She stumbled down the stairs and to the front foyer, still in shock, and met Alice by the door.

The pixie was frowning deeply, looking all too concerned. "Are you alright, Bella?" she asked gently.

"Wh-" Bella licked her lips, glancing over her shoulder at the staircase. "I just." She looked back to Alice with wide eyes and shook her head. "Maybe?"

Alice nodded sympathetically. "I know." She sighed deeply, a light scowl on her face as she glared up at the ceiling. "What a drama queen. Well, I'll see you at school on Monday, Bella! Don't forget to text me when you get home so I know you're safe!"

"This didn't go at all the way I thought it would," Bella said absently. She stepped out onto the porch, spotting Angela's car idling in the driveway, and turned back to look at Alice. "I'm rarely disturbed."

"Have we disturbed you?" Alice asked anxiously.

Bella nodded, watching the pixie's face drop. She reached out to brush her thumb along Alice's chin, tilting her face up, and offered a large smile. "Disturbed is not inherently bad, Tiny Wall. Sometimes it's well and truly pleasant." She lifted Alice's hand to her lips for a quick kiss before jogging down the porch steps and sliding into Angela's car.

She watched Alice wave from the porch as long as she could, until even the driveway was a spec in the distance behind them, and finally turned to Angela. Angela, who was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were white. "Angie?"

"You're giving me an ulcer, Bella!" she snapped.

Bella frowned deeply. "Angela..."

"You had _dinner_ with a bunch of vampires!" she seethed. "And only gave me a heads up when you needed a ride home! What – I – what if they _ate_ you?! Where would you be then, huh?!"

"Someone's lower intestine, I'd imagine."

" _Bella!"_

"I'm fine, Angela-"

"I don't care if your ass is immortal, I still worry about it. A warning _beforehand_ would be nice next time." She sighed fiercely and the car was plunged into a tense silence. Bella fiddled with her bag, glancing in the back seat to Charlie who had his head stuck out of the window. She smiled faintly and faced the front again, glancing hesitantly at Angela. The human huffed, shifting in her seat, and finally met Bella's eye. Her rigid posture relaxed a little and she rolled her eyes. "Didn't even bring me leftovers..."

"Ah, shoot! I knew I forgot something!"

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 **Procrastination-Addict, you're so CLOSE. So close, my guy. But not cigar. Same with you, Argi12. Y'all are in the ballpark. Talismann. GUYS. Listen. Do you want me to just say it? Like I have no issue with blurting it out there. Lemme know here or tumblr (thirteenohtoo . tumblr . com) , probably tumblr if you wanna know right away since you'd have to wait for an entire new update before you get the answer here.**

 **RR, your english was grand so don't even worry about that, my dude.**

 **So there you go, guys. UPDATE. Boom. Hope you enjoyed.**

 **peace**

 **paige**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

"Good gravy, you really are the Emo King of Brooding, aren't you?"

Eyes that were pinned to the sky, flickering back and forth in paranoia of a sun that threatened to crack through the clouds, only briefly glanced down to the road and the passenger seat of the Volvo. Edward shifted in his seat, self-conscious as he pulled at the bottom of his shorts. His black shorts that matched a grey tank top, and the equally dark shoes he was wearing.

To say this boy stuck out at an LGBTQ+ Pride event was... an understatement.

He ran a hand through his hair (that seemed more red than bronze these days and Bella wondered if this tiny little vampire _dyed_ his hair), shooting her a look out the corner of his eye. "Not all of us can pull off big puffy _rainbow_ shorts, Bella."

"Hey, oh, hey, woah!" Bella held up her hands in surrender, a grin stretching across her painted face. Tribal markings that could have passed for entirely accurate, save for the fact that they were rainbow coloured; red, orange, green, blue, and yellow lines swiped down over her left eye. Three violet, purple, and indigo lines dragged down her chin. "I was not attacking, I was merely remarking."

Edward scoffed, rolling his golden eyes back up to the sky through the windshield. "The day I take to heart anything you have to say about fashion, is the day I give up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella asked with wide eyes, looking down at herself.

"I'm _merely remarking_ that you're wearing rainbow shorts with what appears to be a heavy death metal shirt that you've barbarically slashed the sleeves off of, paired with your clunky neon orange skates, and a tie dye... what is that, an _actual_ business tie that you've braided around your head?"

Bottom lip jutting out in a pout that even Edward had to admit was impressive, Bella flipped down the visor from the roof to look at her. "It keeps my hair out of my face." She flipped it back up, angling herself in the seat to face Edward full on. He anxiously looked back at her before returning his gaze to the streets of Seattle, navigating their way to the closest convenience store. "So what are you, Double Dee?"

"I..." he swallowed nervously, fingers clenching around the steering wheel until he heard it creak under the pressure, "I beg your pardon?"

"What are you?" she asked again, elbow propped up on her knee and chin in her hand, while the other motioned up and down his frame. "You're not straight, but that's all I got."

Edward's shoulders relaxed when he realized she wasn't questioning his species. "Oh." And then he got rigid all over again, suddenly thrust into a conversation he'd been skillfully dodging for the past ninety-odd years. "I don't know," he said quietly, honestly.

Bella had this effect, this weird... presence about her, that made you feel safe and heard and validated, without the fear of being judged or misinterpreted. She waited for an answer to her question, that she would take as it was given, and not morph it into her own perception of what she thought it _should_ be, and instead remained as it _was._

"My family is old-fashioned," Edward continued softly, though he still refused to meet her eye. Entirely _too_ focussed on the road, but if that kept him comfortable, allowed him to speak his mind, then Bella wouldn't stop him. " _I_ am old fashioned, or I was raised to be. I've never ventured outside of what I _should_ be."

Pale lips tugged down into a small frown, Bella reaching out to touch Edward's shoulder. He flinched, and she thought better of it, lowering her hand back down to her lap. "You _should_ be who you _are_ , Edward. Without fear, without shame, with – with _pride!_ People should be proud to be themselves, that's what this is about!"

"I've never been to one of these events before," he mused thoughtfully. Golden eyes ventured back over towards his new friend, thoughtful, insightful. "I say my family is old-fashioned, but I don't think that is perfectly accurate. Alice has always been... open with her affection, no regard to gender or barriers of any kind. Jasper is one of the most understanding individuals I've ever met. Rosalie has recently taken an interest in outside... hmm, forces, we'll say." Edward sighed, shook his head. "I think we never talk about it because we always fear the others' reactions, unaware that we're all in quite similar boats."

"Assumptions usually work out that way. People will surprise the hell out of you, Double Dee, if only you'd give them the chance."

His crooked smile returned, eyes sparkling with delight. "Speaking from personal experience?"

"Hah!" Bella let out a sharp bark of laughter. "I gave up trying to anticipate people a _long_ time ago, my friend. Better to just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Nodding, Edward finally pulled into the parking lot of a local Pit Stop. By the time Bella opened her door, he was there, holding out his pale hand, and helping her up to her feet. Unsurprisingly, she'd refused to take off her skates even to run off to the store quickly. He squinted up at her happily, their arms hooking together so she wouldn't go rolling off into traffic. "I don't like people touching me," he said quietly as they entered the little store, the bell above the door ringing.

Bella went to pull her arm from his, but he only tightened his grip and gave her a reassuring smile. The store was quiet enough that she could hear his feet on the tiles and her wheels rolling along as she watched him. "That's okay," she told him.

"I would prefer to initiate touching, so people know when it's okay to touch _me_ ," he continued while they studied the bags of ice in the back freezer. Looking ridiculous, sticking out amongst the bland beige walls and shelves, with Edward's gravity defying red hair and Bella's wildly painted face, the only thing that matched were their smiles and inquisitive eyes.

"That's fair."

A chilly air seeped from the freezer when he opened it to grab an armful of bags, closing the door. He stared down at the bags in his arm, over to the other that was hooked with Bella's, and finally up into curious dark eyes. "I've never told anyone that before. It seems silly because it's reasonable when I say it aloud, but I've always held it back to accommodate the others. The others who love to touch and express themselves."

"They're expressing their love for you," Bella said gently, with a soft smile and equally soft eyes. "A love that would let them happily accommodate _you_ , by asking before touching. Or not touching, at all. Your feelings are just as valid as theirs, Edward."

His lips finally curved up into a small, genuine smile. "I know," he agreed. "I always knew they were, I just... I'm starting to _believe_ it."

"I'm proud of you."

The clerk behind the raised counter eyed the two of them curiously when they approached, Edward dropping five large bags of ice on the counter. Bella eagerly beamed at the young man while Edward watched him struggle not to melt, his trembling fingers grabbing the bags to slide over his scanner. Bella hopped in place and Edward held out his hands, ready to catch her should her skates go every-which-way (even he had to admit, she was getting quite skilled on them), and she turned to him quickly. "Double Dee! Thanks for taking me to get this ice, I really appreciate it."

"It's my pleasure, Bella, I assure you."

Dark eyes crinkled and she brushed her knuckles against her jaw, bashfully turning to scoop up the bags of ice into her arms while Edward paid. "Still," she hummed. She pushed off the counter, gliding through the door with a parting wave to the clerk, following Edward back out to his car. "I didn't think we'd go through so much ice so soon, and Angela can't leave the event as she planned most of it. I can't drive, it would have taken forever to roll down here on my own."

"Really, it's fine. I don't think anyone expected it to be such a beautiful day." Edward nervously glanced upward. "Looks like the sun might just break through sometime."

Tossing the bags into the back seat, Bella ducked into the car. She leaned over into Edward's space, hesitating a moment for him to eye her warily and nod, before pecking his cheek. "I got you covered, buddy. Wouldn't want my favourite Pale Face to burn up in the sun – we've got heavy curtains hung up in the window for just such a bizarre and sunny day, should it come to that."

"What did you call me?" Edward breathed with wide eyes.

Bella's head tilted to the side, her dark eyes sweeping out away from his and to the windshield. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you've got a very pale face, Double Dee. With a complexion like that, I imagine you burn pretty easy and usually try to avoid excess sun?"

"Oh." He watched her closely for a heartbeat and then nodded jerkily. "Right, yes, of course."

Having acquired what they set out to get, the two enjoyed their ride back to Bella's comic shop in companionable music. Songs blasting from Bella's headphones hanging around her neck, and Edward's speakers in his car, with all the windows rolled down. Reminding Edward much of a puppy, Bella seemed dead set on hanging her head out the window to enjoy the breeze and greet people walking the streets. And to his great surprise, a number of them greeted her back – by name!

By the time they pulled up into the parking space saved for them in front of the building, Bella was spilling out of the car and dashing into the group of people dancing on the sidewalk. There wasn't a whole lot of traffic that came through this particular street, which worked out well with such a large turnout, but every now and then the street was quickly vacated to let a car pass through. Otherwise, there was music, and dancing, and laughter, and booths set up on sidewalks.

Edward closed his door with his hip, arms full of ice, and turned to come face to face with a grinning Bella again. She held out her arms to take the ice and was gone, wheeling through the crowd of people. Edward scurried to keep up, latching onto his friend until he could find a family member.

Utterly endeared, Bella didn't mention his finger hooking through her belt loop as the boy tried to stay as close as possible. "Sarah!" Bella gasped and jerked to a stop, Edward's hands the only thing keeping her upright just inside the door. "Hey!"

Shifting the ice to just one of her arms, Bella held out her hand until Sarah took it and pulled her out of the way of the door, Edward trailing behind awkwardly. The girl gave Bella a shy smile, tucking her hair (and flower, Edward noticed. There were a few girls -and a couple guys- around the event with big orange flowers in their hair, behind their ear, pinned to their shirts) behind her ear. "Back from your ice run?"

"Yup!" Bella chirped happily, hoisting the bags up higher for emphasis. "How are you enjoying the fundraiser?"

Sarah nodded quickly, her face lighting up as she gazed around the large open room. "It's amazing, Bella, really. Last time I spoke to Angela, she said you guys had raised over three hundred dollars already. This is... you're great, really."

"Oh, well," Bella scoffed at that, scratching her cheek a little awkwardly. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and shrugged. "So you are! You donated pretty much the second you walked through the door, I didn't even have to sell it to you. You basically threw your money at me."

Sarah's brown eyes widened and she ducked her red face, forcing out a laugh. Edward watched on with wide eyes that shifted between the two girls, speculating and calculating. _Not good. Sarah is a sweet girl, she is a very, very sweet girl. Rose is going to lose Bella if she keeps pushing her away._ The text was shot off just a little too fast to be human, Edward's fingers blurring along the keys as he pushed his gift out to cover the building, searching for Alice's mind.

When he felt eyes on his face, Edward looked up to see both girls staring at him expectantly. "Oh, sorry. What was that?"

He replayed Bella's introduction in Sarah's mind moments before Bella shook her head, and motioned to him again. "I was just saying, Edward, this is Sarah. Sarah, this is Edward."

"Another Cullen," Sarah laughed gently, her smile warm and friendly. She took his outstretched hand. "Your family is becoming notorious around the school."

Edward nodded. "We have that effect on people. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah."

"And you," she agreed. Her eyes swept over the room. "I was a little... short with your sister, Alice, when we met. I didn't realize how close you guys are with Bella already, it took me off-guard. I hope I didn't offend her?"

He shook his head, a polite smile on his face. "Of course not, Alice is quite difficult to offend."

"Speaking of which... I find it suspicious my Tiny Wall hasn't tackled me yet," Bella murmured thoughtfully as her narrowed eyes searched the area. "I'm gonna go put these in the coolers. Screech if you see her sneaking up on me."

They watched Bella roll off slowly, ducking around people, very obviously anticipating a surprise attack. Edward turned back to Sarah who became even more awkward without the buffer, giving him a stiff smile. He offered a grimace back. "So, you are close to Bella, as well?"

"Could be closer," she laughed awkwardly, her cheeks pink. Edward stared. "Um, kind of, yes. She never really noticed me last year, but we have a bunch of classes together this year and got to talking. Bella knows a lot of people, it's... hard to get close to her. Unless you're Angela or Eric." Her eyes tightened and she appeared to be struggling to keep her smile up. "Or a Cullen, it seems."

Brows furrowed, Edward studied the human before him. He shoved his hands into his pockets, head tilting to the side. "You wish to court her."

"I-what? Why would you say that?" Sarah spluttered, her shoulders raising up as she wildly waved her hands around. "Of course I – why? Did she say something? Has she mentioned me and courting?"

He shook his head, face surprised at such a reaction. "No, you just very clearly appear to have affection for her."

"Is it that obvious?"

"I can see it and I usually miss quite a bit, yes."

Her shoulders drooped again. "Do you think Bella's noticed?"

"I'm not... sure," he admitted and looked back out at the room. "Bella is impossible to read."

"Right?! God, I thought it was just me!" Sarah shook her head, stepping into Edward's personal space, her hand on his shoulder. His eyebrows shot up in alarm, body becoming stiff. "Sometimes it seems like she's _totally_ into me and we're just _vibing_ , you know?" She sighed and Edward fought to keep from shrugging her off, looking around to try and spot a family member to come save him. "And other times, she seems so distracted. A thousand miles away and unreachable, like I just... _can't_ get her to focus, to be _here,_ in the moment." Sarah gazed at Edward thoughtfully. "She's very unaware, you know?"

He nodded meekly, hands scrunched into fists in his pockets so tight he felt them crack. "Yes."

A familiar, smug voice floated across the room. One he associated with pinching because, usually, when he listened in to _this_ particular voice, she pinched him when she caught him. And she always caught him.

Rosalie replayed Bella's visit to the manor over and over, their confrontation in the bedroom, thoroughly pleased at how _present_ she'd been. How very aware of Rosalie she was. There was never a moment Rosalie doubted Bella was not focussed on her, not _invested_ in her interest, not since their very first meeting. Whatever it was about Rosalie (and she knew the list was long), _something_ about her had captured Bella's interest enough that the girl simply could not let it go.

Not yet, at least.

Edward and Alice refused to leave her alone, to just _drop_ the Bella issue. Daily they would come to her, warn her that she was going to drive the brunette away, or that Bella would get sick of being rejected and find acceptance somewhere else. These days, they warned of that somewhere else being a particular girl named Sarah.

After seeing first hand how they awkwardly blundered around each other, Rosalie could not decide if she was relieved or threatened.

This was all assuming that Bella was actually _romantically_ interested because, as much as she poked and prodded, Bella never actually made any official moves. Whether or not that was because Rosalie was dating Emmett, Bella wasn't truly serious, or she was simply platonically interested in the blonde, Rosalie could not say.

So how could it truly count as a rejection if there was no offer officially put forth?

Even if she did, even if Bella went up and flat out asked Rosalie on a date, so what? Rosalie had every right to turn her down. She didn't _have_ to date Bella Swan, she didn't _have_ to have anything to do with this girl. Edward and Alice claimed Mate, but there was no hard, concrete proof, that wasn't how this worked.

 _Just knowing_ , was, frankly, bullshit to Rosalie. She needed _facts_ , she needed _proof_ , she needed something more substantial than a _feeling_. Rosalie Hale needed _science_. She was not throwing away sixty years with her best friend for a _chance_ at, what, true love? Puzzle pieces? So-called perfection? All those ridiculous, vomit-inducing cliches from Esme's many, many, _many_ romantic comedy movies?

Hard pass.

Powerful lungs huffed, hot air blowing against Rosalie's thigh until a massive, furry head lifted and fell into her lap. Rosalie sighed, lifting her hand from where her arm was draped over the back of the red, velvet couch, and played with Charlie's fluffy, floppy ear. The beast refused to leave her side once Bella ran out for ice, nervous in such a large crowd, and... well, Rosalie was sitting on the couch anyway, she wasn't about to let this mangy dog chase her off. So whatever.

They sat together.

"Did you see that?" Jasper's southern voice drawled from behind the couch as he stepped up onto the lifted platform with her and the vending machines. Pretty much the moment they got to the event, Rosalie had claimed the single couch, up on the platform, having chased Eric and a few others off.

Rolling her amber eyes, Rosalie scratched behind Charlie's ear when he bristled at Jasper's presence. "Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer to?"

"How fitting you should quote that in a comic shop."

"How embarrassing you know what I'm quoting."

A chuckle rumbled in her brother's chest and Rosalie let a self-satisfied smirk roll across her lips. Scarred hands latched onto the back of the couch, Jasper leaning against it as he gazed out over the room. "Sarah is quite taken with Bella," he commented. Rosalie only hummed in feigned interest. "You do not fear losing Bella to her?"

"I have nothing to lose to that bumbling human," Rosalie bit out quietly, her eyes darkening shade by shade. She glared across the room at the oblivious girl who was still cornering Edward. "Bella is not mine."

Her breath hitched in her chest, an irrational snarl threatening to spill from her lips as her instincts roared inside her chest.

She could hear the grin in Jasper's voice when he leaned down towards her ear. "I will give you one thousand dollars to say that again. Just one more time."

"I have Emmett," Rosalie hissed instead, finally turning black eyes onto her brother.

He quickly slid down to the opposite side of the couch, still leaning against the back of it. His own dark eyes peered at her curiously, scrutinizing, and Rosalie fought to remain sitting and not storm away. Charlie did wonders in keeping her calm and he really was the only thing keeping her in the building. "It won't hurt forever," Jasper said quietly, genuinely. "The sooner you do it, the sooner everyone can heal."

"Some scars refuse to heal," Rosalie glanced to Jasper who looked too concerned, too sympathetic, too... much, "brother. Excuse me."

Rosalie rose to her feet, listening to Charlie whine and drop to his paws next to her. She scoffed, ignored the warmth in her chest, and strode down off the platform into the crowd of people. As Jasper carried on about nonsense that simply did not pertain to her, she'd spotted Bella circling back to save Edward.

The girl had swooped in to place a flower crown atop his red head, cutting in between the two and offering him a soft, understanding smile. Seizing the opportunity, Edward turned and made a break for it, dashing off to Esme and Carlisle outside on the sidewalk.

Which left Bella and Sarah alone again, off in the corner of the room, standing _annoyingly_ close, whispering _annoyingly_ to each other, with Sarah giggling _obnoxiously_ again.

That was just unacceptable and, sure, okay, maybe a part of Rosalie whispered to herself that this wasn't fair. How could she go sabotage any chance at a relationship between these two when most of the time Rosalie refused to be in the same _room_ as Bella? How could she claim anything over Bella, when at every turn, Rosalie refused the girl anything, all while clinging desperately to Emmett?

How could she?

With fucking _poise_ , that's how.

Rosalie's gaze snapped between the two teenagers who were dancing around their awkward flirtation; Sarah twisting the big blue flower around in her fingers, eagerly awaiting a response from Bella. Bella, herself, had her eyes on the ground before her, a charming half-smile on her face as she blew out a breath of air, hand scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, Sarah, that – that sounds awesome, I'd love to go see it with you."

A growl rumbled deep in Rosalie's chest but she bit it back, instead sauntering up to the two of them. Sarah's dull brown eyes widened, regarded Rosalie with an equal mix of terror and awe, her heart stuttering in her chest. Rosalie's lip curled back in both a smirk and mild snarl and just when she was sure this poor, little human was going to pass out, she sidled up next to her and wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders. "And just what are we going to see?"

Another pair of dark eyes snapped up to Rosalie, this particular pair smouldering and swirling with a chaos that beckoned her in. Embarrassingly, Rosalie noted that if _her_ heart still beat, it would be stuttering in her chest. The half-smile on Bella's face slowly stretched up into a full blown grin as she gazed at the blonde over the top of her glasses, until she finally looked up properly. Shoving the frames back up the bridge of her nose, Bella's head tilted to the side as she looked between the two of them.

Intentional or not (intentional, Rosalie could admit to herself), the vampire's position right next to the girl was both intimidating to the human, and presented a natural comparison. One that, frankly, Rosalie would always win.

Except, perhaps, against a certain Alaskan blonde that she wasn't on _great_ terms with.

Sarah gulped nervously, feeling cool fingers increase their pressure on her shoulder, and hesitantly looked up at the blonde. "I was just asking Bella if she wanted to go see the new Spiderman movie with me."

"Fascinating," Rosalie hummed. Those golden eyes travelled back over to an amused looking Bella, and a blonde brow arched in intrigue. "And you agreed?" The scoff was nearly undetectable.

 _Nearly._

Watching Sarah flinch, Bella's dark eyes danced with a challenge. She puffed up her chest, hands on her hips, and nodded vigorously. "Of course, Aphrodite. You don't just turn down Sarah Thibodeaux, not with a smile like that." Her charming words had the desired effect of both bringing a smile to Sarah's face, and wiping the smirk from Rosalie's. "Well, _you_ might. You might shoot her down, pin her to a wall, and then _ignore_ her for the next week."

"Pin who to what?" Sarah asked quietly.

Rosalie's chin lifted ever so slightly. "If she goes traipsing around where she should not be, then maybe she deserves it."

"You could have just asked her to leave your room."

"This isn't about my room. And I did."

"Uh, you _screamed_ at her to get out of your room, and if this isn't about that, then what is it about? Trespassing? Last time I checked, the rest of your family welcomed her in with open arms."

"My family had no right, this involves _me_ and they should have checked with me first. She can't blame me for trying to restore things to how they were before she fucked my life up."

"Kiss your momma with that mouth?"

"Oh, I'm kissing someone, and it isn't Sarah."

"You would be _lucky_ to kiss Sarah. Sarah is a _fantastic_ kisser."

"Sarah looks like she's average at best and I'd have to carry her through it. Or worse, she'd make a dumb joke _just_ after we're done."

"... Sarah-Sarah get's nervous and uses humour as a defense mechanism of which she was under the impression other people found charming."

Gold clashed against brown, Rosalie not _softening_ but _hesitating_. She ran her tongue along the back of her teeth, blinked, and looked off out of the window. "It's not horrendously offensive, I guess."

Bella sighed in relief, relaxing again.

Sarah awkwardly coughed, looking between the two of them, and made her presence known. "Have... have _you_ seen the new Spiderman, R-Rosalie?"

"Tch," the vampire clicked her tongue at the girl, eyes staring at her in muted annoyance until Sarah's gaze snapped to the floor. "Emmett has thus far spared me the horror of being dragged to a theatre."

" _Someone sounds jealous,"_ Bella sang under her breath. Rosalie's death glared flickered over to her and she jolted in place, eyes widening and eyebrows shooting up her forehead. "Oop!"

"You are a child," Rosalie told her seriously. She sighed deeply, arms crossing over her chest now that she was done intimidating the human. "You are so young, it wouldn't even make sense."

This time Bella barked out a surprised laugh that had Sarah jumping and Rosalie twitching. Twitching, brushing her fingers over the phantom heartbeat in her chest, and quickly trying to school her features back into indifference. Bella grinned down at her feet, a hidden joke behind her smile, a mischievous twinkle in the depths of her dark eyes. "My dear, I have been around long enough to realize that age is a meaningless number people tack onto their lives in a futile attempt to measure it. I have seen firsthand a teenager experience more life than their great-grandparent."

"Okay, Plato," the blonde scoffed. Amber eyes scrutinized Bella, waiting for the girl to look back up at her. "If life is measured by experience, not age, then I still have you beat."

"I think you'd be surprised."

Sarah hummed, hands in her pockets as she looked between the two. "You guys are pretty competitive. I don't think life's a competition."

"Yours certainly isn't."

Bella's hand shot up to her mouth, to cover a snort or her mortification, Rosalie couldn't tell. "Aphrodite!" Bella reprimanded with wide eyes, most of her face still frustratingly hidden behind her hand.

Popping her lips together, Sarah stared off into the corner for a moment while she gathered herself. She took a breath, nodded, and finally looked up at the others. "Okay, I'm going to go find Jess. I'll circle back around to find you when you lose your bitchy shadow, Bella. Rosalie."

Rosalie watched her go, a satisfied smirk on her face, and turned back to Bella. Bella, who was staring up at her with an unreadable look and, okay, seriously, why was she so hard to read? People were transparent. You didn't have to be a mind reader to know what swill sloshed around in their half-empty little minds. It was actually one of the few bonding experiences that Rosalie and Edward shared; their ability to read people. (The boy quite literally, and Rosalie with astonishingly accurate guesses)

Not the case with Bella, Rosalie was starting to find. How hard was it to laugh when amused and glare when offended? Why did she look like she was upset about finding it funny?

Rosalie lifted her shoulder. "What?"

"That was _so_ rude!" Bella huffed.

"I've said worse."

Bella shook her head. "I shudder to think what you say about me behind my back."

"I'm a bitch, not a coward," Rosalie snapped. Bella looked up at her curiously and Rosalie held her eye for only a moment before glancing away. "I do not 'talk shit' behind people's back. I say what I think to their face, without hesitation, without thought to how they might take it."

"Brutal honesty, hm?"

"I've been told it's borderline barbaric." Rosalie dug her fingers into her elbows, working her jaw a moment, and angled towards Bella. Her eyes fixed on the floor, unable to meet the girl's eye, as she forced herself to voice her thoughts aloud. "You annoy me." She watched Bella's shoulders droop out of the corner of her eye. "You're vexing, but... I think you're lovely."

Dark eyes widened in surprise, lifted to meet golden ones, but Rosalie was already gone, shouldering her way through the crowd of people. Charlie's massive furry head swung around into Bella's hip, making her roll back into the window behind her, and idly her hand came up to scratch his head. Vibrant green vines, thin and small, hardly noticeable in such a bustling, crowded room, reached out towards Bella as if she were the sun. Pale little flowers, white and pink, bloomed around her as she leaned back into them, a scarlet tinge to her cheeks as her gaze lingered on the vampire's retreating back, a smile caught between her teeth as she bit her lip.

"I think I chose well, Charlie, don't you?"

Her mighty beast let out a deep _woof_ , his tail thunking between her thigh and the window. She blindly reached back towards the pane of glass, felt one of the vines slither around her wrist, and lifted her hand back up in front of her to watch a larger, purple flower bloom at its end in her palm.

"Now, do you think she'll choose me back?"

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 **hope you enjoy**

 **paige**


	8. Chapter 8

**Edit: I'm trying really, really hard to cool it with the Bellice undertones that became overtones. I'm sorry that I love Alice so much... but can you blame me? I'll try to do better, I promise.**

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Rosalie was halfway back across the room to the couch she had since Claimed from all the other event-goers when she felt fingers ghost around her wrist. Honestly, her first reaction was violent – a deep-seated instinct dating back to her human years, so used to men grabbing her when they wanted her attention. And they _always_ wanted her attention. Since becoming a vampire, human instinct mostly kept people away, and if that didn't, the powerful scowl on her face did the trick. And if _that_ didn't, well, she really had no issue with breaking bones.

Thankfully, this touch was feather light and brief. It wasn't someone grabbing her arm, so much as reaching for her attention, letting her know of their presence and silent request.

It was thoughtful enough that Rosalie turned around, at least.

Part of her wished she'd kept walking, already sucked into those big brown eyes. Bella's grin, that rivalled the sun (which was so desperately trying to break free of the clouds that all the Cullens were a little anxious), grew twice in size when Rosalie's golden eyes landed on her, and the blonde sighed. The deep, heavy kind of sigh that heaves your shoulders, that you feel through your entire body.

 _Goddamn, she's cute._

Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest, felt her stoic mask slip into place, raised a naturally patronizing eyebrow, and gave an inquiring scoff of, "What?"

"Well," she watched as Bella bit the corner of her lip, like she was trying to physically wrestle the smile off her face... with her face, and glanced down to her feet, "it's been mentioned that we don't interact enough."

"By whom?"

An uncertain pause passed between them before Bella looked back up, shoving her large glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Me, mostly," she said rather seriously but with that lighthearted quality that made most of the things Bella Swan did frustratingly endearing. "But I'd imagine outsiders looking in feel quite the same."

"Fuck 'em."

Dark eyebrows shot up towards her hairline. "Whoa, hey! She said it, not me!"

Again, Rosalie watched as Bella looked around in alarm, as if speaking to these supposed _outsiders_ , and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is why, Bella. You say weird things, you're a weird person, and I don't know how to respond to it."

"Yeah, I know, most people don't," Bella agreed, again with the furrowed brows and serious face. One that boardered on a pout. The brunette snapped her fingers and shrugged. "Alice does, though, so that's pretty great. I think it's why we get on so great – our weirdness meshes well together."

The vampire stared at Bella, eyes hard and observing and guarded, always so guarded. Like she was afraid of revealing too much and – seriously, that was just a ridiculous thought. Bella had met _walls_ that were more divulging and, yes, that sentence also didn't make sense but that tied into her weirdness, her well-meshing weirdness. "Great. Go bother her then."

"You says these things, Aphrodite," Bella began thoughtfully, sidling up to the blonde. With the skates, they were the same height, Bella perhaps a hair taller. She brushed her fingers along one of the arms of her glasses, pausing to scrutinize the blonde again. "That tell me one thing, but your _tone_ tells me something different."

Never one to back down from a challenge, Rosalie leaned her hip against the nearest table. If she were being honest, she had stared down at it long enough to gather what was on top. Some kind of DC theme with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. The honest part of this admission, to herself, being that she couldn't bring herself to look back at Bella for a solid three seconds. Three seconds to recognize this franchise. Three seconds to gather her courage.

Three seconds that she had never given another soul in her entire life.

Rosalie Hale did not _pause_ , did not _hesitate_ , did not _waver_.

"And what is my tone telling you?" she asked in the most bored voice she could muster.

And there was that smile, that breathtaking smile – if Rosalie had breath that could be taken. "Oh, just-" Bella swivelled around on her skates, to come to a stop right in front of the blonde, a power stance and charming move all in one, but, really, anyone who knew the brunette knew what was coming next. Could anticipate her inability to stop, and was utterly _unsurprised_ as she went toppling against the vampire. A mess of flailing arms, her face smooshed in what she could only _assume_ was marble cleavage because she dropped so quickly, her skates sliding out from under her.

"For the love of God, Bella."

"-just, sorry, lemme just straighten back – aaaand okay, good. Thanks." Hands braced on Rosalie's shoulders, the vampire's own pale hands on Bella's hips to keep her steady and from rolling off, potentially taking out another innocent bystander. Dark eyes crossed, looked up to the bangs handing in her face; big curls and... did Bella do her hair sometime between their last conversation at the window and now? Bella's cheeks puffed up and she blew out a gust of breath, taking the dark locks of hair in her face with it, until she could see again. She blinked at Rosalie and the vampire was _exhausted_ already. "Just that you're hopelessly and irrevocably in love with me."

Another tired sigh that would impress the ancients, but the grip on Bella's waist tightened infinitesimally. "Bella-"

"I know," she nodded slowly in a placating manner, "I was just as shocked as you are when I found out. A Hale? And a Swan? Together? It's the stuff of legends. Epic poems will be written about us one day, my love."

Rosalie's chest tightened in a – not painful way, there was nothing fundamentally _un_ pleasant about it. An argument could be made for the opposition, in fact, not that'd she'd ever venture down that path. "Stop it."

"You ever try to _stop_ the written word, Aphrodite?" Bella scoffed. As if Rosalie had just told her to halt a train with her bare hands. "Anyway," Bella sighed deeply, happily, and brushed her knuckles against her chin. She levelled Rosalie a look; one of those playful and somehow serious ones of hers. The kind that had layers, that had Rosalie digging further, and further, and further into that dark gaze to uncover the discoveries it promised. "Back to my main point. You've said my name at least forty-seven thousand times today."

God, why did she have to be such a little weirdo?

Why did Rosalie have to appreciate such weirdness?

Why did the universe think _this_ was her perfect match?

Why _was_ it her perfect match?

"That is insanely inaccurate," Rosalie told her, matter-of-factly. Even with the little head tilt, eyebrow quirking and, no, this was too animated. Rosalie was a _statue_ , for fuck's sake. Especially out in public, around _humans_.

Of course, one little delighted smile from Bella, those eyes lighting up like she'd been _waiting_ for such a reaction, and Rosalie felt herself rolling her eyes perhaps a little too dramatically. "Four times."

"So?"

"You tell me."

She tried, she really tried to stop herself from dropping her face into her palm, but Rosalie only had so much strength and Bella was a _very_ trying girl. "Tell you _what_?"

"I don't know," Bella murmured and warm hands were suddenly on the sides of Rosalie's neck, thumb pads brushing against her skin in an affectionate gesture and – obsidian eyes snapped open again, Rosalie staring back at Bella. Bella, who looked right as rain and a little _too_ comfortable this close to Rosalie. "Tell me about your life. When's the last time you went on a rollercoaster?"

"I – what?" Golden brows furrowed. "A roller – what? Why would you ask that?"

"Why do you keep asking why I'm asking questions? I feel like it's quite obvious that I'm interested in your answers?" Bella's head tilted to the side adorably – _no_ , not adorably. It just tilted, damn it! "Pretty standard procedure when it comes to questions."

Rosalie huffed, worked a scowl up to her face again, struggled to keep the bewilderment from taking it away. "There is nothing standard about you, B-..."

"Come on."

Another beaming, pearly white smile.

"You can say it."

Dark eyes crinkling with the sheer joy in their depths.

"I like when you say my name, Aphrodite."

Finally, an opportunity to gain back her power. Rosalie felt her lips curl into a smirk, felt the ease of confidence return. Her hands slipped from Bella's waist, and a part of her delighted in the down turn of those pale lips, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Why do you call me Aphrodite?"

"Again, with the obvious questions?"

Her chin rose, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed how Bella fought for control over the conversation. Rosalie _liked_ being challenged. She usually liked to win, the victory, watching the other submit, droop in their defeat. This time she found herself not even thinking about the end, the outcome, instead focussed on the back and forth. At Bella meeting her point for point, look for look. "Not why you chose Aphrodite. Why you use it over my actual name." A thought occurred to her and her inquiry became more genuine, no longer just a ploy for the upper-hand. "You use nicknames a lot. You have one for everyone."

"That I do," Bella agreed. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her puffy rainbow shorts, stared up at the ceiling while she considered her answer. "Names are... tricky things. They hold more weight than you'd expect. Hah." Bella scratched the back of her neck and finally met Rosalie's eye again. "Every memory, every experience, every choice, every single thing you are, have been, and will be, is loaded into one word. All those years, all those emotions, all those thoughts, all tied back to a name! Into _your_ name. Just – just try to wrap your head around that, around the power of, of a name!"

Rosalie did, or she tried, she _would_ – later. Later, when she thought back to this, back to this moment, because right then, right there as Bella ranted about a _name_ , of all things, she was... enraptured. Enraptured by the passion in which Bella spoke, by the facial expressions she made, the tones her voice shifted through to convey her own wonder, how her accent grew and became this full... alluring thing.

How could such a dork be so enthralling?

Bella laughed, shrugged her shoulders, eyes fluttering as she glanced away in embarrassment and something else. Something so fleeting that Rosalie could not name it, could barely recognize it. "We have a saying, where I'm from. Roughly translated, it's, uh... _a God is brought to Its knees by the force of Its name._ "

"That's..." Rosalie shook her head, trying to shake off the infectious wonder seeping out from Bella. "Ridiculous." Bella's smile softened, as if she was charmed by the blunt, and very nearly rude, admission. "But beautiful, I suppose."

Dark eyes flickered back up to Rosalie, Bella hopping in place as if she had a sudden thought. Judging by the shit-eating grin on her face, Rosalie wasn't going to like it. "You suppose? My decisive rose," nope, Rosalie most certainly did _not_ shiver at her name because Bella was quite obviously meaning the flower, "when is the last time you supposed anything?"

Working her jaw a few times, Rosalie glanced away. "It's been a while," she muttered. Usually not one to concede, even when she was wrong, Rosalie only ever adjusted her stance to accommodate her family, and only if it was important to them. Otherwise, Rosalie did _not_ suppose.

Before the relentless teasing could commence, and she had no doubt it would, those dark eyes lit up in such an excitement that Rosalie found herself willing to linger long enough to _be_ teased. Before it could happen, before she could commit to tumbling down _this_ particular rabbit hole, she was saved by the curious human who followed Bella around.

One of them, at least.

Hugging a clipboard to her chest, Angela tugged on the back of Bella's shirt until her friend turned to face her. "Bella, listen, there's-"

"Angie!"

The young woman sighed, let herself be roped into a warm embrace, and quickly patted Bella's back. "Yes, hi, hello. I saw you twenty fucking minutes ago, Bella, why do we always have to hug?"

"Because life is fleeting, one small thread on the tapestry of the time, and I could _miss_ it in a _blink_ , Angela. That's why we hug."

"Damn, Bella, okay." She squeezed her friend tighter until Bella pulled back, Angela glancing nervously at Rosalie. Since being told that these were _vampires,_ she and Eric had been reasonably... distant with them. "We have a situation." Bella looked back at her eagerly, the blonde waiting impassively behind her. "Okay, so Leah and Seth are here."

She spotted Rosalie's mouth twitch down into a frown, heard the sigh, and mirrored it herself. Bella, on the other hand, lit up like it was her birthday. "Leah and Seth. Yay!"

"Yeah, no, I knew you'd like that, but Paul and Jacob came with them."

The smile on her face was overtaken by a sour pout, shoulders drooping. "Boo. Boo Paul and Jacob." Scrubbing her hands up and down her face, Bella adjusted her glasses, her happy mood suddenly... sobered. "Are they causing trouble?"

"Not yet." Angela glanced pointedly at Rosalie who appeared to be counting her family members. "I'm going to go talk to them, make sure they know that this is a nice, friendly fundraiser. I just thought you'd want to know before you were ambushed."

"Thanks, pal," Bella hummed and patted the girl's shoulder. She watched Angela shoulder back through the crowd, felt the vine around her wrist grow, lengthen, and slither around her forearm to her elbow. She squeezed her fists and turned back to Rosalie, a wistful smile on her face. "I have to go deal with that. You and I should hangout sometime. We should go hiking!"

"Hiking."

"Yes," Bella agreed with a chuckle. Her head tilted to the side, dark eyes probing, curious. "Do you have a favourite place to be other than your house?"

"...yes."

"Would it be okay to take me there?"

Mind reeling, Rosalie found her mouth forming the words before she could really consider them. "Yes." God, did she mean that? She really meant that? Her head was flooded with images, Bella lounged back on the roof of the lighthouse next to her. Suddenly Rosalie was _desperate_ to bring Bella there, to see what would happen. What would she do? Would she like it? Would she be bored? What would she think?

"Great," Bella beamed at her, warmth ghosting over her wrist (always her wrist, what was _with_ that?), "I'll hold you to that. Catch you around, Aphrodite."

And then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd. Her silent companion, the loyal behemoth that had been patiently waiting for her, followed along and Rosalie felt a little better about her... Bella going to deal with the wolves. It was a public place, but wolves were unstable. If Rosalie wasn't so concerned about finding each member of her family and not making a scene in front of humans, she might have even gone with her.

Bella shared smiles, patted shoulders, and greeted people as she cut through the room towards the other end. The music was loud, and there were enough people that nobody had really _noticed_ the commotion across the room, but Bella could feel the confrontation. The disturbance in _her_ sanctuary.

Immature children.

She sighed, gliding over to Angela and Eric who were dutifully cornering Jacob and Paul between the window and the cash counter. She reached out to them, one hand on each of their shoulders as she stopped between the two, the vine on her arm crawling up around her shoulder, slithering around the palm of her hand like roped Boxer's Tape.

Charlie dropped his heavy paws against the tiles, head low, ears pinned back as a steady quiet rumble came from his broad chest. He stepped between in front of the three, shielding them behind him, eyes switching between the two wolves.

Hoisted up on the counter, Leah lounged back on her elbow. She glanced up from the comic in her hand and gave Bella a two finger salute. "Sup, Izzy."

"Hey, Bella!" Seth popped up from behind the counter, a large book in his arms.

And just like that, the stress melted from Bella's frame. Her jaw dropped open, eyes widening in disbelief, a grin tugging her lips up. "You shifted?!" she exclaimed, looking at the boy – _man_ , the young _man_ before her. His dark, shaggy hair was pulled back in a tie, sharp and angular face covered in freshly trimmed stubble. He was easily six feet now, his awkward and lanky form having filled out with lean muscle. Those dark eyes, always so happy, so innocent, surrounded by long, thick lashes... "Little Seth, you're a beautiful man now!"

His dark skin darkened even more with the blush, partially hidden behind the stubble on his face and the rainbow lines dragged under his eyes and across his cheekbones. "Not so little anymore, either!" he replied in a gravelly voice. Quick as a cat, and just as agile, he swung his legs over the counter and landed in front of Bella. Charlie let out an alarmed bark until the boy was crouching in front of him, ruffling his ears. "Easy, old man, it's still me."

"Hey, Charlie is young and spry and... and young, super duper young. _You're_ old, Seth," Bella pouted.

He flashed elongated canines up at her and stood back up to his full height, holding out his arms. "So you're not mad at me for growing up?"

"Mad? Of course not!" Bella laughed, though the sound was suspiciously watery. She wrestled him into a hug, swaying side to side. "Why would I ever be mad?"

"I don't know, I just," Seth sighed, leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder. He met Eric's eye, who nodded sympathetically, and hummed. "I know you get sad about that stuff, sometimes. I still remember you crying through Leah's entire thirteenth birthday."

Heart clenching, Bella felt the time slipping through her fingers. She squeezed the boy tighter, as if she could tighten her grip on the years themselves, and sniffled. "That's because your sister is scathing and told me my haircut looked like someone went at it with a weed-whacker."

"Hah!" Leah snorted, dark eyes glued to the page of her comic. "I remember that. Fuck, I was a funny kid."

"That's enough," Jacob finally snapped. He jerked forward, only stopping at Charlie's sudden snarl, and looked around at the humans anxiously. He stepped back again, arms crossed over his chest to try and stop the trembling. "Bella, what the hell?"

Another sigh heaved Seth's shoulders but he backed up to lean against the counter in front of his sister, staring down at his shoes. "I thought we agreed to pose a concerned question?"

"Yeah, well, that was _before_ we were subjected to their fucking stench," Paul spat. He scowled at Bella, hand flinging out towards the room. "Don't tell me you can't recognize a couple of walking corpses?"

Bella bounced in place, nodded vigorously enough to slide her glasses down her nose. "Oh! Yes, I can! I _love_ zombies. Have you guys gone to see the new Resident Evil yet? That's _two_ Alices I love now."

"Don't play games," he growled. "You've got fucking leeches waltzing around your building. We saw how friendly you are with that blonde one."

"So?"

Jacob's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "So? _So?!"_ he echoed. "Bella, they're not _people_ , they're-"

Her head tilted to the side, though it did not come with the endearing smile or adorable curiosity this time. It was an action with enough weight behind it, with enough insinuation, to give the wolves pause. "You will show respect under this roof. The Cullens are my friends."

"No!" he barked out, going as far as to slam his foot against the floor. The nicknacks on the nearby table shook. "Sam will not stand for this!"

Angela scoffed, leaning forward over Charlie in an attempt to get into the wolf's face. "Then he can sit the fuck down."

"How _dare_ you!" Paul roared and jerked forward.

Angela threw herself backwards into Bella with a gasp of fright a moment before Seth stepped between them, grabbing Paul's shoulders and shoving him back towards the window. Hands splayed against the man's chest, he and Jacob held the trembling wolf there. "Paul!" he gasped. "She's a human, man. What are you _doing_?"

"She's a _bitch_ , is what she is!"

"Yeah, say that to my face, Kujo."

Bella angled her face towards her friend, equally frustrated and amused. "Angela..."

"What? He's the bitch."

"Patience," Bella beseeched her. "You're better than that. Look at Eric, you don't see him losing his-"

The boy flipped Paul and Jacob the bird, his heart hammering in his chest. "Yeah, _you're_ bitches!"

Bella dropped her face down into her hand while Leah sniggered over on the counter. Paul snapped his hand around Seth's wrist, twisting and yanking it to the side, sending the boy toppling into one of the tables. Leah's laughter cut off abruptly, a snarl exploding from her chest, and Paul jerked forward two steps-

Into Bella's hand, the vines around it spider-webbing across his chest, lost against the dark shirt. " _That,"_ Bella said quietly, calmly... he sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the vines constrict around his ribs, "is not a path you want to pursue, Paul. You won't like where it ends."

"You belong to _us_ ," he rasped out, clenching his jaw in a grimace. He felt the vines digging into his torso, like an impossibly strong hand slowly but surely squeezing him until he popped.

Thousands of miles away, Bella stared off into the corner of the room. A heartbeat passed between the group. Dark eyes blinked. She pulled her hand away, the vines around Paul's chest drying out and dying immediately, crumbling down around his feet. "I belong to everyone," she told him sincerely and finally met his eye. He flinched but held tight to his righteous indignation. "Accept this or do not."

"We _don't_ ," he snarled and roughly pulled away, retreating back to Jacob's side.

The larger boy sighed sadly. "Bella, you're not safe here with these... these _things_ lurking so close," he told her. "We're just trying to protect you. As we always have, as we always will."

"Don't claim knowledge you do not have, _altiflu_."

Leah stopped in front of them, jabbing Paul in the chest hard enough to make him go stumbling back. "Touch my brother again and I'll rip your fucking throat out. Get lost."

"You can't-"

She stepped back into his face, forcing him backwards until he was pinned against the window. "You think I give a shit about pretence? For _humans?_ I'll break every damn law we have and then every bone in your body before I let you hurt my brother again." Her glared at her but she didn't back down, did not waver. "Try me. Paul. I dare you."

"Leah, please," Seth murmured. He slid his large hand into hers, hunching over to try and appear smaller. "Come on, it's fine. I'm a wolf, too, it didn't hurt."

"That's not what this is about, Sethy."

"Mom told you that you had to stop calling me that."

Finally she relented, looking back over her shoulder to flash him a grin. She truly was putty in his hands. "Only because you went crying to her after I embarrassed you in front of your friends. Little Sethy."

"This isn't-"

She whirled back around on Jacob. "Fucking _leave_. You're not welcome here, Bella says. Right?"

"If you cannot behave civilized-"

Leah held up her hand to emphasize, quirking an eyebrow. "See? No cavemen who beat their chests and claim rights over other _people_. Scram."

"Sam will deal with you later, Clearwater."

She scoffed, rolling her dark eyes at their retreating backs. "Yeah, what else is new." She turned back to the others, face stormy and livid. Her shoulder jerked up and down in a violent shrug.

"What does that mean?" Bella asked.

The hairs on the back of Eric and Angela's necks rose at a tone they'd never heard from the brunette before. Angela shuffled over to Eric, and even Charlie whined low in his throat.

Leah stared across the room at a point on the wall, ignoring Seth and Bella's stare. "Nothing."

"Leah, how does Sam _deal_ with people?" Bella repeated. She swallowed harshly once. "How does he deal with you?"

She scoffed, hopping back up onto the counter and picked up her comic. "Like a little bitch, that's how. Don't sweat it, Izzy, I can take care of myself."

"What does-"

"Drop it!" she snapped.

Bella rolled her shoulders and put her hands on her hips. She sighed and turned back to the others, shaking her head. "Don't know what she was thinking when she made them so moody," she muttered to herself. Her eyes found Angela's, saw the alarm and hesitation, the subtle way she leaned back from the severity found on Bella's own face. Bella softened, concern ebbing out the anger that had been quickly trying to overtake her.

Fear.

Always the fear, hundreds and hundreds of years worth of fear. Instinctual, it was instinctual by this point. Nothing she did would ever change that, their mark was already made. Her mark was made.

They would always fear her, on some level.

"Don't-don't be scared," she said softly, holding up her hands. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Angela shook her head, forced herself to relax because... come on, this was Bella. She wasn't scared of Bella. Bella made her safe. Made her safe, and happy, and cared for. Sure, she knew Bella was scary. Bella was truly terrifying, on a level that, honestly, she could not fully comprehend, but not to her. Not to Eric. Not to the people Bella loved. Right? So why as se hyper aware of every twitch Bella made, why did her body refused to let her turn her back? "So, we pretty much overshot our goal in funds today, but I don't think it would hurt if you made one last round to collect? The more we have, the more we can donate, and let's be real here, nobody's saying no to you when you put on the accent thick."

With a coy look on her face, Bella reached out to brush her thumb against Angela's chin in an affectionate gesture. "I don't know what you're talking about, _maža svajonė."_ Once again, her accent was thick and full and felt like silk to the ears that listened.

"Okay," Angela clicked her tongue and shook her head. Her eyes skimmed down the page of her clipboard and she glanced up uneasily. "Also, I think maybe you should go talk to one of the Cullens. They made a... considerable donation, and someone should really thank them in person."

"Oh." Bella nodded, already looking around the room for them. They were oddly difficult to spot. "Which one?"

"Alice Cullen."

Unexpected, Bella barked out a short laugh that surprised the others and had Eric jumping out of his skin. "That little minx," Bella murmured in delight. She scanned the room more thoroughly this time, finally spotting the pixie lounging with her feet up on the couch in the opposite corner of the room. Golden eyes met hers, through the sea of people, and Alice lifted a hand to wiggle her fingers. Bella's grin grew and she was already patting Angela's shoulder as she passed.

The vampire was wearing an enormous, blue, comfy hoodie with Beast's face on the front of it. She glanced up at Bella as she approached, brushing inky black spikes from her face, raised a delicate dark brow. "So this is what our relationship has come to? I have to purchase your time?"

"You look adorable in that hood," Bella told her plainly.

Alice sniffed, lifting her chin in the air. "Flattery won't get you out of this."

Brown eyes rolled to the ceiling, the smile on Bella's face curving into a smirk, and Alice didn't have time to even question what was happening before the brunette climbed onto the couch and, more specifically, Alice's lap. The pixie, utterly surprised, stared up at Bella with wide eyes as she was straddled. Bella braced her hands on the arm of the couch on either side of Alice, a curtain of her dark hair falling around them and blocking out the room. "You and I are friends, right?"

"Best friends," Alice promised absently, still thoroughly confused. Her brows furrowed.

Bella nodded, chewing on her lip. "I thought so. Can you feel this?" she asked curiously.

"Feel what?"

"I take that as a no. I wonder if it's a Me-Thing." Dark eyes shifted to the space just next to Alice's head, her friend suddenly lost in thought and a million miles away. "It doesn't sound familiar though. Granted, my memory is _not_ what it used to be. I don't think I've felt this way before."

Alice blinked up at the girl, reaching up to touch her fingertips to a warm cheek. "Bella?"

"Hm?" Those eyes fluttered, returned to the here and now, back to Alice. "We belong together, Alice. I can feel it. I can _feel_ it. I think you're my soulmate."

"Jasper-"

Her friend bounced once, eyes lighting up with excitement, a happy grin on her face. A literal puppy in Alice's lap that she couldn't help but shake her head at. "Jasper is a nice boy," she told Alice bluntly and then tapped her chin. "I should go tell him that. He looks sad a lot, I think it would make him happy to hear he is a nice fella."

"I-sure, yes," Alice agreed with a confused chuckle. "I'm fairly convinced he's my soulmate though, Bella," she explained, her lips quirked in a smirk tinged by an inside joke. One Bella was quite aware of.

So she huffed and dropped down farther, resting her forehead against Alice's cooler one. "No, no, it's definitely me. Our space dust must have been drifting close together before _Time_ was a thing, this all feels vaguely familiar. I'd say _platonic_ soulmates to placate your worries -my heart belongs to another, Alice, I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience- but that implies a lack of passion and I just... I'm not capable of putting aside my passion." She sat back up again to consider this while Alice's mind reeled as she tried to keep up with the wild rambling. "I have _passionate_ friend feelings for you, Alice," she decided on. "Ones that people are gonna squint at sometimes, but ignore them, what do they know? A handful of millennia later and we're still no closer to quantifying love, so. Let them wonder."

"Bella..."

Pale lips pressed together in a thin line before jutting out in a pout, Bella letting out a little huff. She fiddled with the hem of Alice's sweater, warm fingers brushing against a chilly stomach and eliciting a shiver from the pixie. "Sorry," Bella muttered and pulled her hands away. "Am I being weird again? I forget I'm not supposed to say certain things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Not normal kinds of things."

Alice blinked again, staring up at her friend in a new light. "Bella," she called softly, waited until those dark eyes reluctantly met hers again. "Are you... ordinary?"

"Is anyone ordinary?" Bella countered with a thoughtful look on her face. "What is ordinary? To whom? I think ordinary is relative. I find Eric peculiar and Angela odd, that's why I chose them. Would _you_ not say they are ordinary, however?"

"I know a deflection when I see one."

"Bizarre," Bella decided.

Alice shook her head, a laugh bubbling up out of her chest. "I beg your pardon?"

"I would classify myself as bizarre, I think. Ordinary is too vague," she clarified, tapping her finger against her chin. "Perhaps strange."

"That's accurate," Alice agreed with a giggle.

A mock gasp escaped Bella's lips, her hand coming up to cover her mouth in surprise. "Tiny Wall! You're supposed to tell me that I'm the most normalest person in the world. That is, that is _classic_ Best Friend Duties."

"Normal is boring though, Bella, you want me to call you boring?"

"No," Bella agreed with that same adorable serious face. "I want you..." her eyes shifted down to the space between Alice and the back of the couch. She sighed deeply and flopped down beside her friend, curling her arm around the pixie's waist. "To keep people back while I have a quick nap."

"I – what?" Alice laughed. She tried to turn her head but Bella already tucked her face into the crook of Alice's neck, chin on her shoulder and nose buried in the side of her hood and dark hair. "Bella?"

Her odd friend sighed, hugged Alice tighter to her, and relaxed against her side. "I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, Alice. I was here all night decorating for today and I'm beat tired. I just need a solid ten minutes, promise."

The vampire waited a moment, trying to wrap her head around the entire encounter. She laughed softly and shook her head. "So who does your heart belong to?"

A warm hand came up to press a finger against her lips. "Shhh... all in good time, my friend. All in good time."

Though it was odd, though they were in the middle (corner, technically) of a crowded room with music blaring from strategically placed speakers, and though Bella was, technically, the host of this very event, Alice watched as the girl melted into her and quickly fell asleep. It might have been some record, or perhaps it was perfectly normal, but Alice had never actually seen a human sleep in real life before.

So she lay there, holding Bella to her as comfortably as she could, wondering if there was more to this unusual girl than met the eye.

And then Emmett's future went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

The lights flickered.

Not really a big deal, one people probably wouldn't notice in this particular situation. There was a _lot_ of electricity being used; for the lights, for the music, for the machines, etc. Power surges or disruptions were bound to happen, and not another person in the room even blinked at it.

Of course, she was the only person in the room with a degree in architecture and various engineering fields, so if anyone were to blink, it would be her. And she did.

Esme blinked because she knew, just based on what she had seen from the event itself, and judging by the building, that the lights should not have flickered. So she was hyper aware when the room went dark (as much as it could in the middle of the day) for a fraction of a second, and therefore did not miss the subtle vibrations that ran through the building from the floor up. Did not miss the clinking of trembling glass. Did not miss the way that cups full of drinks rippled.

She certainly did not miss when the very earth itself gave a subtle shiver.

The girl lying in her lap sucked in a sharp, sudden breath. She jerked up into a sitting position, brown eyes wide and wild, shooting across the room to every corner, every nook and cranny, full of panic and alarm. Esme slowly reached out to tap Bella's shoulder, eyebrows shooting up when the girl whirled around on the couch to look at her.

Very real dread stared back at her, despair clawed at her heart like an angry hand-

Bella blinked, her dark gaze softening into curiosity, and Esme released the breath she had been holding. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I've never been more okay than I am in this moment, Mrs Mom." She winced, chin dropping to her chest as she stared down at the couch. "Damn it."

"Names are hard," Esme laughed gently.

Nodding, Bella pointed up at Esme in agreement. "That they are." She popped her lips together a few times, brows slowly furrowing, and looked around the room. "Not that I'm not utterly _warmed_ by the fact that I got to wake up to you, but do you happen to know why my little pixie ditched me?"

"Oh!" Esme nodded, sitting up a little straighter to look around the room. "Yes, she told me to relay to you her deepest regrets, but she had to go speak to Emmett. It seemed quite urgent. She didn't want to leave you alone, though, so she waved me down. I hope that's alright."

"It's not just alright, it's super _duper_ alright," Bella told her seriously. "Is everything okay with Emjem?"

Anxiety burned golden bright, Esme chewing on her lip as she looked to the front of the room. Outside the window stood Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. She could not hear her children over the roar of the crowd and music, but Rosalie did not look happy. Alice looked uncertain, and Emmett seemed... in shock. "I don't know," Esme said honestly and looked back to Bella. "Did you sleep alright, dear?"

"I didn't sleep," she commented absently, also watching the Cullen children. She missed the curious eyes on her and frowned. "It looks like something's wrong. Rosalie is upset – I should, I should go do something, right? Should I – would she want me to – I have the _perfect_ flower for this scenario but she keeps turning them down. Does she like _hugs_? No, I'm definitely getting an elbow to the throat if I attempt to hug her, aren't I."

A cool hand patted Bella's shoulder, Esme charmed to her core at the genuine concern etched onto Bella's face. "I fear there isn't anything we can do. We tend to give Rosalie her space when she's upset, she prefers it that way."

"She said that?" Bella asked, a little heartbroken. She looked back to Esme, the motherly vampire blanking. "Have you asked?"

Esme opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking from Bella to Rosalie, and back again. "She lashes out at us until we leave her alone."

"That's what wounded animals _do_ , Mrs Esme! Doesn't mean you shouldn't help them." Bella scrubbed a hand down her face, smearing the paint on it, and sighed. "I'm gonna go see if I can help."

"Bella, I'm not sure-" Esme sighed, watching the girl roll off towards the front of the building.

With a lasso around her heart, Bella was tugged through her comic shop towards the scowling blonde. People parted for her, or she swerved around them, sheer determination on her face as she glided across the room. The concern on her face only grew as she watched Rosalie cross her arms over her face, shifting to stare down at her boots and gather herself.

Bella reached out for the door-

She slammed into a marble chest, Edward's eyes wide and frantic. "Bella, no! She'll make you cry!" he gasped out.

"Double Dee, what in the ever-loving bunny-heck are you doing?" She lifted on her toes to look over his shoulder, desperate not to have her line of sight to Rosalie cut off. "I'm a little busy, if you can wait just one second."

His grip on her arms tightened, not painfully but firmly before loosening quickly – he really _wasn't_ used to touching people. "I know, but you can't go out there. She can't help herself, she can't think clearly when she's in this deep, she needs to calm down or you need to go with Jasper, but she'll cut you, Bella. She will cut you deeply and she'll feel so bad about it later, but she can't help it. Not right now."

"What are you _saying_ , boy?" Bella grabbed _his_ arms, shaking him a little because his ranting was getting quicker, and quicker. If she were human, she would have missed it all. "Take a breath."

He sucked in a lungful of air – too large, awkward, sharp, and coughed it back out. "I really like you, Bella, you're my friend. I think you may be my second best friend, next to Alice, and I think you'll do this family a lot of good." Her worried frown ticked up into a smile and he gave her a wincing smile of his own, running a hand through his red hair to grab the back of his neck. "But you can't go out there because Rosalie is _very_ good at chasing people away."

Golden eyes beseeched brown, his silent pleas for patience and forgiveness sweet, but ultimately unnecessary. He watched her earnestly, everything up at the surface, ready to pounce on any response she gave. She got the feeling that maybe he also didn't talk to people very often, there was something very clumsy about his social skills. Like he wasn't used to them, as if he was uncertain.

Bella offered a charming grin, puffing up her chest. "Lucky for me I'm good at being chased."

"This isn't a joke, Bella!" he cried out in frustration. "Her words are sharper than any blade."

Dark eyes lit up in excitement and challenge, Bella's gaze drifting back to the blonde outside. Her grin curled into a satisfied smirk, hands locked behind her back. "Of that, I have no doubt. She could _eviscerate_ me, I'm sure."

"Why would you go out there then?"

Her brows furrowed, glancing back at the boy curiously as he watched her thoughtfully. "Double Dee," she said gently, tilting her head. "Some things are worth getting cut for."

She swooped around him, out the door before he could blink. The Seattle air carried a chilly bite that nipped at her bare skin, eliciting shivers from the humans in the street. Bella pushed her glasses up, looked to Alice, and inched closer.

The pixie was pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not his fault, Rosalie, and you're being quite unfair here."

"Unfair?" the blonde scoffed. " _I'm_ the one being unfair, _I_ have overstepped the line? Everything else about this situation has been fair to _me_? Is that what you're saying, Alice?"

"No, I'm not – Rose!" Alice huffed, hands on her hips. Golden eyes shifted over to Bella, softening but still quite frustrated. "Now's not a good time, Bella."

Two more pairs landed on her and she fidgeted, wincing at Rosalie's glare. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm part of the unfair equation?"

Instead of smiles cracking, like she had hoped, Rosalie's eyes darkened from an amber to obsidian in the time it took her to blink. Emmett heaved out a sigh, hands in his pockets, and stared down at the sidewalk. Alice frowned lightly, sympathy in her eyes.

"Because I am," Bella continued. She booped her fists together awkwardly, swaying on her skates. "I'm part of the unfair equation. Got'cha. Glad we cleared that up. Okay."

"Bella," Alice began gently. She stepped over, scooping up Bella's hand to cradle between her own. She offered the taller girl a weak, reassuring smile. "Maybe you should wait inside? This is a delicate situation."

"I feel like I could help!" Bella insisted with wide eyes.

Another scoff, this one decidedly violent. Bella blinked, looking up into Rosalie's black eyes. The blonde's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, jaw strained from the pressure, eyes on fire. "You feel?" she asked quietly, sarcastically. "You feel like you could help. You feel quite a bit, don't you?"

"Well, basically, yes that's kind of my thing-"

"You _feel_ you can just swoop into my life and destroy it?" Rosalie continued as if Bella hadn't said a word. She stalked forward and Alice shifted, planted herself between the two, staring up at her sister defiantly. Rosalie continued, forcing the girls back into the glass door. "You _feel_ like you're allowed to harass me? You _f_ _eel_ like it's cute so you're allowed to disregard my wishes? As long as you get a kick out of it, as long as you _feel_ good in the end, why not ruin my life?"

" _I_ feel like this day was always going to come, whether Bella was here or not," Alice growled up at her sister. She jabbed the blonde in the abdomen, dark amber eyes glaring up at black ones. "And maybe if you just _calmed down_ for a second, you'd realize how _lucky_ it is that she _is_ here. You could be going through this alone right now."

Alice was pressed back into Bella when Rosalie stepped into her face, forcing them both back further into the door. Rosalie lifted her lip in a silent snarl down at Alice. "I _am_ alone now, that's what this is about. He doesn't need me anymore."

"I never _needed_ you, Rosie," Emmett said quietly. His shoulders were bunched together, looking hesitant and small, despite his massive stature. "That's not why we're here, we're not around you because we _need_ you. We do, but not... Rosalie," she flinched at him saying her full name, "we're here because we _want_ you. We love you and care about you, and we would still even if you never had anything to offer us in return."

Her rigid shoulders twitched, the scowl on her face hollow. Cold eyes stared at him, unblinking, scrutinizing him. "That's not how this works," she said dully.

"It is," he countered earnestly. He stepped forward, holding out his hand for her. "You know it is, Rosie, you _know_ that's how it works, you're just upset. You're on the cusp of losing control and you need to wrestle it back. Don't listen to the bad thoughts, don't listen to _ghosts_ who tell you otherwise."

Tension hung in the air like fog, thick and dark and choking. Rosalie's fingers twitched, her eyes shifting back to Alice. Up quickly, inching higher and higher, meeting Bella's. The intensity in them stole Bella's breath away. "What do you want from me?" she asked quietly.

Alice's hands grabbed the sides of Bella's thighs, though she made no other motion. Emmett's eyebrows shot up into his hair line, and she felt like perhaps the Cullen siblings were trying to silently communicate something to her...

But she couldn't look away from Rosalie to gauge just what that was. She was trapped in a golden prison and escape was the last thing on her mind. Bella ran her tongue along her bottom lip. "The good," she said softly. Rosalie's eyes fluttered, disappointment swirling into her gaze as it fell away. "The bad," Bella continued just as soft but growing stronger. "The broken." Something shifted in those golden eyes. "The scary." Alice's grip on her thighs tightened. "The parts you don't like. The parts you do. I want it all."

Rosalie slowly shook her head, eyes glassy and finally dragging back up to Bella. Heartbreak and sorrow met her, a girl drowning in fear. "You don't know what you're saying."

"I want all of you, Rosalie."

Pale hands clenched back into fists, lightning fast, at Rosalie's sides. She sucked in a short, surprised breath, but otherwise didn't react. Her gaze was locked onto a crack in the sidewalk beside Bella's rollerskates; dark, angry, hurt, and scared.

It was foolish. Bella felt foolish. She felt _blind_ for ever thinking that Rosalie Hale was cold-hearted or emotionless. True, she wore the mask well – so well, one could not even tell it was a mask to begin with. This vampire, this woman battled against her emotions every moment of the day, every moment Bella had ever been witness to. Her eyes were windows to a soul that felt so _profoundly_ that Bella felt it, each lingering look a slash across her heart. The depths of these emotions were deep and everlasting, and honestly, Bella wasn't surprised that she put up an indifferent front.

It was probably for her sake more than others', her first and last line of defense lest she be consumed by her own heart. A barricade against the onslaught of emotions waiting to drown her.

"I know what it's like," Bella murmured seriously. Her voice was quiet but strong, gentle but firm. She leaned forward against Alice's back, gravitating towards the blonde, always being pulled in. "I know what it's like to choke on your own emotions. To have nowhere to turn from them, no reprieve, because they're _inside_ , they're part of _you."_

The flame returned to Rosalie's eyes and while Bella was hoping for something lighter, something a little brighter, she was happy for _any_ response. Anything but the dejected surrender that Rosalie had been on the precipice of. Rosalie, at least, cared enough to fight.

Bella could work with that.

"Don't pretend to know me," Rosalie growled. Actually growled, deep in her throat, animalistic. Emmett and Alice jolted in alarm, looking at Bella with wide eyes, about ready to wrestle Rosalie out of there if she was really losing her cool like this. Frustration and hopelessness seeped out of Rosalie in waves, waves that she battled against, but was quickly being swept away in. "You don't know anything about me, you don't know _anything_ , it would never work. I keep telling you guys that it's impossible. She doesn't belong with m... she doesn't belong in our world, and she." She sighed roughly, violently, and turned her back to the others. "She wouldn't understand. None of you do."

True annoyance and frustration slithered across Bella's face for the first time since meeting the Cullens, enough to surprise Alice who didn't think the girl was capable of any kind of negativity. Bella clenched her jaw, hands gripping her hips as she scowled at Rosalie's back. "You don't get to do that, you don't get to make assumptions about other people when you don't even know them. You've been pushing me away since we met – you don't know what I would understand."

The blonde only scoffed, taking a few steps away from the other three.

"We don't have to be friends, but I'm done with you trying to ignore me. To be ignored is the greatest insult reserved for enemies, and it's just – I've had enough of it."

Choices, much like names, were tricky things. There was no greater power, no greater strength, than the ability to make a choice. Choices changed lives, for better or worse, in grand ways and minuscule ones. Choices forged history, they were the building blocks to the future. Choices defined a person, a people, an entire species...

Considering the impact choices could make, and the impact that someone like _Bella_ 's choices could make, she really should practice considering them more.

Alas, like most things in life, Bella dove in head first and hoped for the best.

She wasn't sure who was more surprised; Rosalie, herself, or Emmett and Alice. All she knew was that she was on Rosalie's back; arms around her neck and shoulders, legs wrapped tightly around her waist, glued to her like a spider-monkey.

Panic fueled Bella's actions and she couldn't stop her mouth. "I know you're an angry vampire who I have the utmost faith would not hurt a soul at this event, but your siblings are _wildly_ concerned and it makes me, possibly, just a little bit cautious. I know Emmett looks equal parts guilty, shocked, but kind of excited? I'm thinking he met his mate. You're _really_ upset, so either you didn't know you two weren't mates -do you guys have a way of telling that? I can't remember if you do, I haven't talked to one of you in many, many years- or you just really, truly love him. Which makes me think you've been together for a long time. I understand that you're hurt, but shutting people out isn't going to help. It's going to make you feel worse and I could not bear to see you in this much pain for one second longer."

Rosalie turned to stone under Bella's hold, not a muscle moving or twitching, she wasn't even breathing. Unused to such stillness, Bella hugged herself tighter to the blonde, pressing her warm cheek against a chilly one. Behind them, Emmett's hands were in his hair, making it stick up at odd angles, while Alice looked on with surprise, but not really shocked. He flung one of his hands out towards them, looking down at his sister, eyebrows jumping up his forehead. She breathed in a shaky breath, shoulders hitching up, and shook her head.

"I can't feel your..." Rosalie's voice was abrupt, dull. Her hands were loose again, fingers tapping against her jeans as she thought. "That day you came over for dinner, there was only one heartbeat at the table. Loud, large, and powerful, it distracted from the lack of the other. Charlie's heartbeat masks the absence of yours."

Resting her chin on a stoney shoulder, Bella hummed softly under her breath. She stared ahead at the crowd of people laughing, singing, and dancing in the street. "I tore mine from my chest a long time ago, when I could not bear my feelings a _moment_ longer."

" _I knew it!"_ Emmett roared, his arms in the air. A few people in the street looked over in alarm, Alice giving him a confused look of her own. He pointed at Bella again. "She says things so _weirdly_!"

"I understand," Bella repeated quietly.

Rosalie closed her eyes, angled her head down and away from Bella. "You don't know me."

"Not for lack of trying," Bella grumbled. She huffed playfully, adjusting her position on the vampire's back. "You're starting to steal Edward's Broody Thunder."

"Excuse me?" Rosalie's head shot back up, turned towards Bella, whom she could see out the corner of her eye. Could see that damn grin stretch across her face again. "I do not brood."

"No, no. You just battle melancholy heroically and gorgeously."

Her beautiful rose snorted, Bella felt her body shake and hummed happily. Rosalie sighed, shook her head, angled it towards Bella again. "What are you?"

"That is..." Bella sighed, long and tired. "Complicated. The short answer? Very good at playing human."

"Not _that_ good," Alice muttered under her breath.

"Not everyone is _psychic_ , Alice!" Bella shot back.

"How did-"

"You're all very loud, I can hear you _all_ the time."

Staring with wonder, Alice tried to tame her amused smile into a more serious face. "What _are_ you?"

"I am a delight, that's what." Bella turned back to Rosalie, leaned down close again. "This just feels _right_ , doesn't it?" And like that, she was shrugged off, dropping to the pavement below. "Yup. That's about right."

Alice was there, crouching down to offer Bella her hand and an excited smile. Golden eyes danced with interest and intrigue, tracing over Bella's features softly, before a porcelain hand was extended to her. "How much do you know about vampires?"

"Everything," Bella replied softly, with a tender quality to her voice that felt like a hug. Curious, considering what they were speaking of. Tender wasn't usually the reaction to their kind; fear, disgust, hatred, mistrust. Bella hummed, head lolling to the side, and tapped Alice's cheek under her eye. "Except why you have golden eyes."

Dark, elegant brows inched up in surprise, Alice's painted lips curling up. "We feed on animals, not people."

"Hah!" Bella barked out a quick, sharp laugh that had the vampires jumping slightly. She took Alice's hand and was pulled up to her feet again, resting her palm on the pixie's shoulder. She eyed them curiously. "You've evolved."

"What does that mean?" Rosalie asked brusquely. Hard eyes met Bella's briefly before falling away. "How do you know so much about us?"

Lifting and dropping her shoulder in a shrug, Bella lifted her chin and looked away from the blonde. "A girl's entitled to her secrets."

"Not if it affects my family-"

She held up a hand to silence Rosalie, surprised it actually worked, but could feel the holes being burned into her palm from the glare. "Save it. If my knowledge affected your family, you would have felt the ramifications by now."

"We have a right to know about you," Rosalie tried instead, fists clenched at her sides again, voice tight.

This time it was Bella who scoffed, chuckled a little, and shook her head. Dark eyes blinked down at the sidewalk before she pushed her glasses up and met Rosalie's eye. Closed, guarded, and still hurt, but not as severe as before. "Careful what you demand and of whom, not everyone is as patient or forgiving as I am."

"Or as arrogant."

"The pot said to the kettle."

Rosalie stalked forward before she stopped herself, wrestling down a large breath to reign in her control. She rolled her shoulders and stared down the ink covering Bella's shoulder, following the swirling vines down her toned arm. "You are an insufferable little non-human."

"You have no idea who or what I am," Bella marvelled, stepping closer to the vampire. She looked on with wonder, staring at Rosalie in a new light, that made the blonde shift uncomfortably. She'd been stared at many different times, in every kind of way, through the years, but this... this was new. "I could be your worst nightmare, I could be unstoppable, I could be inevitable. I could be The End... yet still, you do not hesitate to speak your mind, your feelings."

Black eyes melted against brown and the rest of the street faded out. Rosalie's eyes fluttered, her gaze dropping down to Bella's wrist and the vibrant green vine looped around it. "I know who you are," she corrected. "So I don't care what you are, it doesn't change how I... see you." She swallowed, rolled her eyes, and smirked before meeting Bella's gaze again. "As an insufferable little non-human."

"I suddenly kind of regret agreeing to go on a date with Sarah."

The soft light in Rosalie's ever goldening eyes froze. Her body stiffened again, Alice sucking in a quick breath behind Bella. Rosalie's head tilted to the side so very slightly. "What?"

"Yeah," Bella rubbed her hands together and laughed awkwardly, "I kinda wish I had a table to turn now. Puns are fun, hm?"

"That's not funny."

"Nope. No, it is not," Bella agreed with a too wide smile that looked entirely uncomfortable on her face. "It's like the opposite of funny, actually, considering how much progress we literally _just_ made. But I gave her my word, so..." She shrugged. "And you seem pretty content ignoring me."

Another mildly hostile step forward, Rosalie's hand jumped up to point at Emmett. "So he leaves me and gets... and then you just go... are you _fucking_ kidding me right now?"

"I kind of want to be catty and point out the _great lengths_ you went to rejecting me the first six chapters of our life together."

Rosalie's image blurred, she turned so fast, and stormed down the sidewalk again. She didn't pause, hesitate, or stop for anyone this time, and Bella got the feeling that maybe it was for the best considering that the sidewalk cracked under each step.

Still, she couldn't resist raising up on her toes to call after the blonde, "This is part of the problem! You're sending mixed signals!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The hostile air that surrounded Rosalie never lessened, never softened throughout the following week. If anything, it got worse, it became so severe that Jasper had to actively avoid his sister lest he physically saturate the house with her rage. She had attempted going to school on Monday, thinking that perhaps Bella was simply putting her to the grinds (justly so, she could admit that, she recognized that) for her poor treatment of the girl until very recently.

Seeing Bella and Sarah walking through the campus, with Sarah latched onto her arm, fingers dancing along the sharp lines of Bella's tattoo... Rosalie drove straight home, stormed through the house, and belly-flopped onto her bed for the next three days.

Since then, she had wandered down to the main level of the house, desperate to get out of her own head. Emmett had hesitantly reached out but she didn't have the patience or emotional constitution to deal with him and snapped before he got too close. Alice _reeked_ of Bella, of that alluring lavender, and had been literally thrown out a window. Carlisle was busy and... awkward, as he tried to offer his sage advice, but seemed utterly lost in how to deal with emotional drama.

Esme was her only comfort, but even that was slightly painful if only for the fact that the woman seemed particularly inseparable from her garden lately. With apologies of _I'm so sorry, honey, but I've never seen it this_ _ **thriving**_ _before_.

So she hid away in the garage, tinkering on anything she could get her hands on. And if it didn't require tinkering... well, she made sure it would.

It's where Edward found her currently, under the hood of Esme's rover, up to her elbows in grease. She felt his presence, her shoulders rigid, irrationally angry already because she knew he was in her head, digging around, probing. Probably all with good intentions, but annoying as fuck nonetheless.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She sighed. "Stop addressing my thoughts directly, Edward, and maybe I can actually forget you're in there."

"Would it help our relationship?"

"No."

His frame drooped and though he already knew the answer, he still asked the question aloud. "Why not?"

"You're aware of my aversion to mirrors."

Edward sighed deeply, knew that very sound was part of the problem, knew that more often than not Rosalie had the same exact sigh. Long and tired and done. "Emmett wants me to tell you he's sorry."

"He has nothing to apologize for," Rosalie growled back. She tossed aside the warped wrench, aiming for the pile in the corner of the room. It hit the wall, fell down to the others with an echoing clang, obnoxious against the otherwise silent room.

Ebony eyes blinked, Edward turning back to his sister. "That's quite the switch from the other day when you were screaming that he was throwing away decades of dedication and commitment for a dog."

"I was upset."

"And now you're not?"

The metal frame of the rover bent under her fingers, Rosalie consciously stopping herself from crushing it in her palm. She gingerly popped it back out and smoothed it, wiping the rag over it. "No."

"You're allowed to be hurt, Rosalie," he said softly. Edward inched ever closer, leaning his hip against Esme's truck, and crossed his arms over his chest.

She clicked her tongue, smothering the snarl in her chest, and glared at the engine battery. "Don't tell me what I'm allowed to be, _Edward_."

"I'll tell you what you're not allowed to be, then," he huffed, bushy eyebrows narrowing on his face. "You're not allowed to be hurt _ful_ , you cannot spread pain simply because you're subjected to it, especially not to the people you love. You may have lost your boyfriend, but Emmett fears he's lost his best friend. This is new and terrifying for him, and he needs you."

The hood of the truck fell with a slam, Rosalie splaying her palms out on top to scowl at her brother. He flinched back from the intensity of her black eyes, saw the rage roll through her shoulders, could just barely spot the _hint_ of red around her pupils. He knew he was steering her dangerously close to triggering her gift. "He doesn't, actually," she said too calmly. "That's what this is all about. He doesn't need me anymore, I was a place holder for him until he found what he _actually_ wanted."

"Was he not the same for you?"

She was in his face in the blink of an eye, had him shrinking back into the truck. "You have no idea what he was to me."

"Couldn't be much if you're so ready to drop out of his life," Edward countered meekly.

An enraged statue stared back at him, the thoughts in her head racing too fast for him to keep up with. Each thought branched off into a new trail, and by the time he followed one to the end, there were three more waiting for him.

Eternal second passed as Edward tried to decide if he should slink out of the room or not, if she would notice, if that's what she wanted, or if she wasn't finished with him.

Rosalie blinked, her gaze not softening but shifting, hesitating. "Is he happy?"

"I don't think he can be until you forgive him." Edward took a breath and shrugged his shoulders. "He's excited though. Anxious. A wolf imprinted on him and he found his mate, all in one instant. Considering the... conflict between our species, I would say he's struggling. Having you to talk to, knowing that he had you in his corner, would help immensely."

She scoffed, crossed her arms, and shuffled back. "Obviously I'm in his corner. I am in all of your corners, whether I like it or not."

"Even-"

"Yes."

Edward's smile was a little bashful. "I know we don't always get along, but I appreciate that, Rose."

"Whatever." Rosalie cracked her neck, shifted on her feet, and forced the growl back down in her chest. "So. What's the deal with this Leah?"

Amber eyes blinked at her. "I don't... oh. _Oh._ You think it was the sister that imprinted on him. Emmett's mate is not female, Rosalie. The wolf he is bound to is Seth Clearwater."

The door connecting the garage to the house swung open with a crack in the same moment it took Edward's to blink. She tore through the house like a tornado through a field, the portraits on the walls crooked and askew in her wake. Alice was stepping out of her room until she got a face full of Rosalie's palm, shoved back inside.

" _Rose!"_

Her own bedroom door was cracked open and she slipped inside, gingerly closing it behind her. Boxes littered the room, Emmett packing up his things to move to the third floor, on the same level as Edward. The massive giant, himself, was slowly packing away his video game collection, sitting in the middle of the floor in front of the television. He looked up at Rosalie and her heart seized in her chest at the sad golden eyes staring back at her.

Without a word, she sank to her knees beside him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. "What do you need?" she whispered into his rebellious curls.

"Just you," he whimpered back.

She nodded and the two watched the woods out the window get darker and darker as the afternoon crept away. For the most part, Rosalie silently comforted her giant. She stroked his arm, played with his hair, and even hummed softly now and then.

A calmness settled over the room like a warm blanket, muting the outside world. It shut out everything else, and the two could pretend there was nothing and no one beyond those four walls. It was something they often did; laying in bed, in utter silence, taking comfort in the simplicity of each other's companionship.

If the others thought they were fucking all the time, well, who cared. Rosalie was not about to correct them, not about to aim a spotlight on Emmett's insecurities and vulnerabilities. The rest of the world didn't need to know that, deep down, he was just a man with a large heart that cared a little too much, and needed time to emotionally digest the world.

"He's a wolf," Emmett eventually said.

His deep voice broke the silence of the room, but he made no move to get up from the floor. With her head on his shoulder, Rosalie nodded and stared into the reflection of the blank television. "You can't choose your mates."

"He's a he."

She lifted her head to press a kiss against his shoulder. "At least he's a pretty he."

"Hah!" Emmett laughed weakly, a watery grin sliding onto his face. He turned his head slightly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "He _is_ pretty, isn't he?"

Rosalie nodded agreeably. "You know how I feel about facial hair." She sighed deeply, leaning back up, and wrapped her arms around her knees. He was giving her those hopeful, bright eyes of his. The ones he always gave when he was in trouble and just wanted things to go back to how they were before she was mad. Only, this time she wasn't mad and there was no going back. "You're going to have to shower _all_ the time. I refuse to smell like dog, I simply won't do it, Emmett."

The smile came easier, but sadness still lurked at the edges. Guilt and uncertainty. "He's a dude."

"These aren't the thirties anymore," Rosalie replied in a strong voice. She reached out to lay her hand on his forearm, making him look at her. "You can be scared, Emmett, you can be frightened and overwhelmed. You can even be uncertain, confused, but don't..." she shook her head, worked her jaw to keep a lid on her emotions. She'd have to go hunting later. "Don't be ashamed. There is no shame in love."

"What will the others think?" he asked with eyes full of tears that could not fall.

Rosalie's chin rose into the air. "That doesn't matter. I have no doubt that they'll be supportive, Emmett, but it really doesn't matter in the end. Only how you feel, only what you think, only how you see yourself."

Face thoughtful, he nodded at her. "I understand why you kept pushing Boo away," he said and Rosalie's entire _being_ clammed up. Her hand fell from his arm, her face locking down into a mask of indifference. "It's scary. I mean, he imprinted on me, but I still... what if he doesn't like me? What if I don't like him? Is it possible to not like your mate? And, and Bella is human! Or, well, mostly human. Fairly human. You must be _terrified_ of that. You could hurt her, she could hurt herself. You could scare her. She could just, like, die one day. Humans are always croaking at the drop of a hat-"

"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed with black eyes. "Just stop."

He looked on in alarm, wincing sheepishly. "Oh, sorry." He scratched the back of his head, glanced around the room that was painfully emptier now. "So, you gonna try to win her back?"

"That would imply I ever had her to begin with, which I didn't," Rosalie muttered into her knees. Her narrowed eyes landed back on the television. "She's moved onto Sarah, either way."

Emmett laughed, loud and boisterous. "Well, this is new, isn't it? Jealous, insecure Rosie trying to court instead of being courted. Listen, nothing against this Sarah girl, never met her, but if it's a choice between her and you... you'll win, Rose. Always."

She stared at him for a moment before a smile curved the edge of her lips up very slightly, and Emmett was already ducking backwards to dodge the pillow she swung at him. "Just what do I have to be insecure about? People would die to look like this," she gestured down to the simple pyjama shorts and tank top she wore, "in fact, they have."

"I thought we were being honest." Emmett wiggled his eyebrows, leaning forward to tap a large finger against her bare shoulder. " _This_ is just icing on the cake, you're more concerned about what she thinks of what's inside."

A sour grumble fell from her lips and she shoved his hand away, up on her feet in the same motion. She paced to the window, staring out at the dark sky, itching to go run. "If that's what tips the scales, then I'm doomed to endure eternity alone."

"Rosie," Emmett sighed. He pushed himself up to his feet, hesitating behind her. He slowly eased his palms onto her rigid shoulders, waiting to see if she would rip one of his arms off, before squeezing affectionately. "Do you want to know what I've noticed these past few weeks?"

She shook her head, arms crossed over her chest. "What?" she humoured him.

"She keeps coming back for more," he told her honestly. His slightly bewildered voice, the genuine wonder, was enough to make Rosalie look back at him curiously. "To be quite honest, most of us hide when you're in a mood, but it's as if she sees a challenge. She takes each sharp word and counters it, she gets under your skin just as much as you get under hers, and... somehow leads you back out of your mood? The weirdest part," he laughed softly and shook his head, "she seems to genuinely enjoy it? She finds your scathing personality delightful."

Golden brows furrowed, Rosalie facing her best friend fully. She huffed, fingers digging into her elbows, and scowled at the corner of the room. "How do I... God. How do I fix this? She's dating Sarah."

"Well, first of all, it's been like four dates. That's not dating, I wouldn't say they're in a committed relationship," he explained. "You lucked out, got your head outta your ass just in time." He gasped, ducking under her swing, and shuffled backwards. "I mean it in a good way! Hey! Who's helping you get your girl, hm?!"

Rolling her eyes, Rosalie turned to start helping Emmett pack up the rest of his stuff. "Can't I just tell her she's my mate and be done with it?"

"She's not a vampire, so no."

"Does anybody know what she is, yet?" she asked, pausing with one of his sweaters in her hands. She glanced at him, watching him shrug. "Do you think she would tell me?"

He considered this and started dragging a large box over, dumping his stuff in it along the way. He heaved it up onto the bed, wincing when his controllers went bouncing off. With a sigh, he dropped to his knees to fish around under the bed for them. "I think," his words were muffled, face pressed into the mattress, "that it couldn't hurt to ask – did one of the controllers slide out on your side?"

She barely glanced at her feet. "No. Should we not be more concerned with what she is?"

"You weren't," he said and hopped back up to his feet, rebellious curls sticking up atop his head. "So we aren't. Why, are you now? Should we be nervous? Nah, it's only Boo. She's probably just, like, a weird human." They shared a silent look, Rosalie's face thoughtful and serious, Emmett's leaning toward suspicion. "Right? She falls _all_ the time."

"She doesn't have a heartbeat. What creature do you know that doesn't have a heartbeat?"

He scoffed. "Well she's most certainly _not_ a vampire, so what does that leave?"

"I don't know, and I'm concerned that it's not a bigger issue for us. Why are we not more cautious?" she almost demanded.

It was as if a fog had been cleared from her head, a missing puzzle piece finally falling into place. Like she was only _now_ aware that Bella wasn't what she appeared to be. Not human. No heart – and suddenly, Rosalie realized that she and the others really knew almost nothing about the girl.

Emmett, in a similar boat, slowly sat down on the bed. "She's very disarming," he murmured, idly scratching his head. "What the hell... Rose, she's not human!"

"Yes, I'm aware!" she snapped and also dropped onto the bed. "What is she?"

Down below, a plate shattered. Edward blinked his wide eyes, shaking his head as if coming out of a dream. He looked up at Esme's concerned face, tilting his head to the side. "Why do we keep forgetting she's not human?"

Esme opened her mouth to question _who_ they were forgetting wasn't human before it clicked in her mind, and she faltered. "She... oh."

Bella Swan wasn't human.

 **.**

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 **.**

"Are you psychic, too?" Rosalie asked.

She lifted herself over the ledge of the room, to the very top of the lighthouse – her favourite place in all of America. The water breeze carried up from the choppy surface below, making her and Bella's long hair dance in the wind. There was a stillness to the night that was tranquil; an ocean of stars above them illuminated the cliffside and forest behind them. Rosalie blinked down at Bella, felt something in her chest lurch.

A serenity was settled over Bella that Rosalie had never seen on another person before; moonlight absorbed by the pale, creamy skin that was exposed in her hiking shorts, eyes reflected the mischief of the night; dark and full of promise. Bella's hair billowed like a rich, dark curtain in the breeze as she leaned back on her palms, a peaceful quirk to her lips.

Rosalie quickly shifted her gaze to the sweater her mate wore, disgruntled at how relieved she was to be staring at poorly drawn cats wearing sunglasses rather than eyes that constantly beckoned her in. "Nope," Bella replied softly, and Rosalie fought the shudder. Even her voice was ethereal tonight; silky smooth with a rough edge _just_ at the end. Something in Rosalie's gut told her that, perhaps, Bella was not putting as much effort into hiding her... _otherness_ around the vampires anymore.

"How did you find this place?" she asked, instead of commenting on her suspicions.

The vampire sank to the roof beside Bella, close enough to feel the alluring heat rolling off her, but not enough to breach either's personal bubble. Bella's pale lips ticked up in an amused smile, she angled her face towards Rosalie and stared at the blonde's clunky boots. " _I'm_ not the one who bites here."

"Yes, well, I figured Sarah might take issue with us being so close," Rosalie shot out before she could think twice about her. Her entire frame twitched at the absolute _jealousy_ that dripped from her voice. Damn it.

Taking a deep breath, Bella tilted her head back to look up at the stars. "She might," she agreed quietly. Constellations reflected in those dark eyes and Rosalie was left enraptured, unable to look away. "I'm pretty familiar with the area and something told me that the crashing of the waves would call to you, would soothe the storm inside."

"Feeling poetic, are we?"

"Always," Bella grinned.

Rosalie blinked, squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head back towards the water out in front of them. "Where's Charlie?"

"Down below, sleeping in a nearby tree."

A snort shook her chest and she was tempted to venture over towards the edge, just to see if she could spot him. "Your dog is sleeping in a tree?"

"I won't let him fall, don't worry."

"Is he...?"

Bella blinked, registering the unspoken question, and laughed softly. She finally glanced over to Rosalie, met her golden gaze, eyes crinkling with her delight. "He's just a dog. Big, to be sure, but one hundred percent regular dog."

"If I asked what you are, would you tell me?"

"Would you ask?" Bella countered. The vampire kept her gaze, realized she was being studied, scrutinized, and new that she was being compared to her little emotional outbreak the last time they spoke. Not her finest hour, but nowhere close to her worst. "Not tonight, at least."

"Have you ever watched Hercules?"

Again, Bella blinked but this time in surprise. Taken off guard, her mouth fell open while she tried to compute the question. "The Disney version?"

"Yes."

"Um, yeah."

"I'm living out a moment from a stupid children's movie right now," Rosalie told her quite seriously, even a tad frustratedly. She huffed, shaking her head, and fell back against the roof fully to stare up at the sky. "Do... whatever you are, have mates like vampires?"

She felt Bella shift and lay down next to her, felt warm skin brush against her hand. "No."

"Of course not."

A beat passed between them. "I would not say that your kind created love and devotion, however. In my opinion, it isn't the highest degree to hold all other romantic connections to."

"And what species would be?"

"Humans."

Rosalie scoffed, rolling her eyes in dismissal. "Humans love a new _soulmate_ every day."

"Precisely," Bella agreed happily. "Their capacity for love is beautiful. Just because they feel it for one person doesn't mean they can't for another, it doesn't take away from the experience to have it twice. Their love is vast and unique, moreso than any other species I've ever come across."

Golden eyes fell shut. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Many times."

Bella's voice was quiet, reverent. It held endless pain and wonder equally, like her voice was trying to choke the words out, and somehow caress them at the same time.

"What happened?"

"I lost them." A weighted pause. "I lose everyone, in the end."

Rosalie looked over, her fingers twitching with the sudden and foreign desire to reach for Bella's hand to comfort her. "Were they human?"

"Yes."

"You don't age?"

"Not if I don't want to."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "But you could if you wanted?"

"I could do many things, if I wanted," Bella replied ambiguously and, surprisingly, a little darkly. "How is Emmett?"

"Overwhelmed," Rosalie said absently as she studied Bella's profile against the night. "Is Seth going to break his heart?"

The smile was back, bright and large, and Bella folded her hands behind her head. "Oh probably, sometimes. Just as he'll break Seth's. Comes with the whole _love package_ , but do I think there will be any last damage or regrets? Absolutely not. They're going to make each other immeasurably happy, Aphrodite, don't you worry about that."

"And Sarah will do that for you?"

Bella's grin melted into a teasing smirk, eyes dancing with something like a dare when she turned to look back at Rose again. "She could."

"I could take you from her," Rosalie found herself saying.

The brunette hummed. "Quite easily, yes."

"Do you want me to?"

"Do you want to?"

Rosalie ran her tongue along her lips, sucked in a sharp, uncertain breath. "Yes," she breathed out honestly.

"Give it a try," Bella shrugged simply and looked back towards the ocean above them, "see what happens."

Rosalie's face scrunched up in offence and frustration. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you open to that? Are you against it? Do you even like me?"

"It's called a leap of faith, Aphrodite."

"What is the appeal of plummetting into the unknown?" Rosalie demanded.

Bella laughed – loud and full, utterly charming as she thoroughly enjoyed herself in each moment of life. "I think it's the possibility of who might catch you."

"Don't make me ask if you're going to... ugh, catch me."

Without warning, Bella rolled to the side, up and over Rosalie – no, _on_ Rosalie. Straddling Rosalie. A warm, pleasant weight settling on the blonde's hips, Bella's hands braced on either side of her head, dark hair falling down around them both. Dark eyes sparkled with something that evoked a phantom heartbeat in Rosalie's chest. "I don't want to give you the wrong idea when I tell you that I think we should start out as friends."

"And what wrong idea would that be?"

Bella leaned down, burning gaze tracing the vampire's beautiful features with a hunger that rivalled her thirst. "I thought I was upset about you making assumptions when you don't even know me," Bella told her quietly. Her gaze lingered on pale lips and Rosalie felt a purr bubbled up out of her own chest at the heavy weight behind it. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was upset that you just don't know _me._ "

"Hence the starting out as friends," Rosalie interjected. "What's to misinterpret about that?"

A warm hand cupped Rosalie's cheek, softer than a dream, fingers curling around the back of her neck. She followed the guiding tug, sitting up, arms wrapping around Bella's waist to hold her as she sat in the vampire's lap. "Sarah is a lovely girl, we had a great time," Bella whispered and rested her forehead against Rosalie's. "But I could not stop thinking about you the entire time I was with her."

" _Good."_ A delighted purr rumbled from Rosalie's chest again.

She _felt_ Bella's lips curve up into a smile again. "I think we should start out as friends, but I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't want you to think we'll ever _just_ be friends, Rose."

The vampire's grip on Bella's waist tightened as her name spilled from those soft lips, silk against her ears. "Bella..." Rosalie tilted her jaw forward, eagerly leaning in to capture those lips in a searing kiss, desperate to know what a dream felt like against her own lips.

Her heart soared in the moment between contact, full and burning in her ribcage, _alive_ in this moment-

"Bella!" Rosalie jerked her head back, blinking open her black eyes to stare at the flower Bella held before her lips. Golden brows furrowed though she couldn't quite bring up the scowl she wanted, not what Bella's entire face was alight with joy and amusement and excitement. "What is this?" she asked, exasperatedly.

Brown eyes crinkled in laughter and mischief. "It's an _Aster_ ," she replied cheekily. She reached up to tuck the purple flower behind Rosalie's ear, lightly dragging her the tips of her fingers down the vampire's face, along her jaw. She shook her head. "Dangerously tempting," she murmured.

"Hah," Rosalie scoffed, leaned back on her palms to get a breath of fresh air and try to clear her head. "You're telling me."

On top of it all, Bella had the gall to lean forward and press a quick, chaste kiss to Rosalie's cheek. "I gotta go, Charlie isn't particularly fond of sleeping in trees. He's gonna be cranky if I don't get him home soon."

"Of course," Rosalie agreed with a sour grumble.

Bella stood to her bare feet, stretching her arms towards the sky. "Frustrating, isn't it? To have someone be so receptive one second, and completely shut down the next?"

"Yeah, I get it."

Bella cooed as she backed towards the edge of the roof. "Adorable, you are simply _adorable_ when you pout."

"Whatever," Rosalie huffed. "Do you want me to help you down to the forest floor again?"

"No need."

Rosalie barely had a moment to look over her shoulder questioningly – just in time to see Bella flash her a grin, wiggle her fingers, and throw herself backwards off the edge. Rosalie's soul jumped out of her body, hand shooting out as she blurred up to her feet and the edge of the roof. "Bella!" she shouted, staring down below.

The girl was standing by a large tree, leaning one hand against it while Charlie's massive form jumped off the branch. She offered a cheeky smile and two finger salute before turning and disappearing into the trees. Leaving behind a mystified Rosalie.

 **.**

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 **You guys, all your support and lovely words mean the world to me. I don't think I could ever express my gratitude, other than pumping out as much Rosella and Bellice content as I can. I reread all of your reviews all the time, each one is always the highlight of my day (unless im having an EXCPETIONAL day, which, you know, is always nice).**

 **There's a few different people and their awesome reviews I wanted to address here but I've been editing shit for _days_ now, and I just really want to get this out before I pass out tonight. I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. **

**peace**

 **Paige**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

It was a nice porch, as far as porches went, but it wasn't Bella's favourite – she had seen some _nice_ porches during her time. So she didn't dwell and instead tapped her knuckles against the wood of the door, surprised it didn't open immediately. Surely the vampires on the other side heard Angela drop her off. How could they not?

Still, she waited patiently with Charlie's tail batting at her hip as he stood obediently next to her. The doorknob twisted and an easy grin slipped onto her face, sliding up an extra bright notch when she realized it was Rosalie who answered the door.

There was just enough time for her to lock eyes with a golden set, watch them flick up and down her form lightning fast, fade to a dark amber, and then the door was slammed shut in her face. Bella's mouth fell open in shock that was quickly overtaken by amusement, a chuckle shaking her shoulders and smile turning the tips of her open mouth up.

"Aphrodite, you're going to make me swoon if you keep treating me so nicely!" Bella shouted through the door as she banged on it.

It opened just before her fist could connect a third time, a much friendlier Cullen greeting her. Alice beamed up at her friend, gaze taking in the taller brunette, and a knowing smirk played at her lips. "I _warned_ her," Alice sighed out but beckoned Bella in.

Charlie lingered by the door while Bella swung the pixie around the foyer, hugging her tightly. "Tiny Wall, what have I done to offend your sister now?"

"Oh, nothing," Alice waved her off, "she just went to change." Golden eyes narrowed in scrutiny as they wandered up and down Bella's form again, surprised and impressed. "She thought you were going to show up in -and these are her words, though I can't say I always disagree, Bella, I really must take you shopping- _another hideously bright outfit designed specifically to offend her eyes_."

A pout pulled at Bella's lips as she huffed but it was Rosalie who spoke next, her muffled voice floating down from the stairs to the second floor. " _I wasn't aware I was dating a flower child!"_

"I wasn't aware we were dating!" Bella countered back and smirked at the absence of a reply. She clicked her tongue and looked back from the stairs to a delighted Alice. "What?"

Again, Alice was waving her off while simultaneously ushering her towards the living room where the rest of the family lingered. "I've just been waiting a long time for this. She has a point though, you look as if you've just stepped out of a child's fairy tale book. Minus the combat boots, of course."

Bella twirled in place, fingers swooping down across the soft material of her white dress. Perhaps they had a point; the white ribbons wrapped around her hands, the flower crown sitting around the top of her head, it was all a bit much but she had spent the day in the woods and she liked feeling the wind against her skin. Feel it play with her hair, with her dress, with the ends of the ribbons.

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella glanced back up to her friend as she followed through the halls. Charlie trailed behind them, nails clacking against the hardwood floors. "Why is she changing?"

"Her jeans had oil stains on them."

Intrigue danced in Bella's eyes. "She works on cars," she asked though was fairly certain and it came out sounding like a statement.

One Alice agreed with anyway, her head bobbing in affirmation. "Yes, quite often. Too often. You're lucky you don't have a car, she pulls them apart just to put them back together again when she's bored."

"But I do have a car, Alice."

Something hit the floor above them with a dull thud while Alice eyed her with interest. "Secrets, secrets, are no fun," she sang softly while waggling a finger in her friend's direction.

"Secrets, secrets, spare someone," Bella countered seamlessly.

The others in the living room looked up when they arrived, eager faces greeting her. Esme swooped in to scoop Bella up into a warm embrace that she eagerly returned. "Bella, honey, it's so lovely to have you back here. You look beautiful."

"Thanks!" Bella chirped. She bounced forward, Charlie pressing against her as he regarded the rest of the room warily. "He'll warm up to you one day, I promise."

"It's fine," Carlisle replied from his seat across the room. He put his book down, getting to his feet at a slow pace to put Charlie at ease. "We're used to such reception from animals. You look wonderful this evening, Bella." He reached out his hand for Charlie to sniff, smiling softly when the mighty beast only whined and cowered behind Bella more, instead shaking hers affectionately.

"If you all don't stop complimenting me, I'm never going to fit back out the door with this big head," Bella warned playfully. She slid further into the room, sitting on the arm of the chair Jasper was in. "Jazz, Double Dee," she greeted warmly.

Her dark eyes fell to the little table between them and the game sitting atop. Her jaw clenched, Jasper noted with interest. He angled in his chair to better look at her, look at the intense rapture with which she stared down at the board. "Would you care to play a game of chess, Bella?"

Those dark eyes shifted up to his own, rage and pain and indignation swirling together in a dizzying vortex of brutality...

All until she blinked. A cheerful smile latched onto her face, hollow and off-putting. "No thank you, I don't care for the game's origins."

Both boys' brows furrowed in confusion, but Emmett popped up before either could voice their inquiries. He hopped the board, ignoring their annoyed barks at him as they kept the board from toppling over, and held open his arms. "Boo!" he exclaimed and Bella didn't hesitate in throwing herself at him.

"Em!" Bella sighed into his large, broad chest. She rested her chin against it, staring up at him happily. "How are things going with Seth?"

The room stilled with interest, as no one had broached the subject with the uncharacteristically silent mountain of a boy. He had remained tight-lipped with everyone but Rosalie and had seemed more forlorn as of late. Understandable, considering his situation, but Esme was happy that someone finally brought it up.

Emmett himself shrank back, scratching the back of his neck while he stared at the corner of the room. "Oh, you know..." he trailed off and huffed. He shook his head and looked up at Bella with pained eyes. "Haven't seen him since your party, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

"He's been asking about you."

The boy lit up eagerly. "He has? Like what? What did you say?"

Bella laughed, affectionately tapping the tip of his nose. Dark eyes danced with mischief. "He asked what kind of heart you have."

"And?" Emmett shook his head, face scrunched up in confusion. "Oh no. What kind of heart _do_ I have?"

She hummed softly, gaze appraising. Her fingers slid along his chest, resting just over his heart, and tapped twice. "Strong," she murmured and watched him raise his arms to flex. "But gentle."

"And how would you know that?"

The hairs on Bella's arms raised at the sound of the velvety voice beckoning to her, caressing her skin with the softest affection. The small smile on Bella's face twitched up into a broad one, turning to look at her stone angel. Rosalie stood at the entrance to the living room, shoulder leaning against the wall with her arms lazily crossed over her chest. The deep red of her blouse drew attention to her brilliantly golden eyes, Bella's gaze bouncing between them and her lips painted a bold red as well.

She found her mouth forming words she hadn't time to consider or filter. "You think I don't know what kind of heart it takes to love you?"

Off to the side in the room, Esme and Alice grabbed each other's arms and squealed softly.

Rosalie rolled her eyes but even she could not fight the satisfied and delighted upturn of her lips. "Whatever," she scoffed and pushed off from the wall. Molten gold threatened to light Emmett's chest aflame, where Bella's hand still rested. "You can remove that, now."

Emmett all but collapsed to separate himself from Rosalie's mate.

"Such fear you command!" Bella laughed and turned fully to the object of her desires. A blonde eyebrow rose in challenge as regret flashed across Rosalie's face. "What brings you to these parts, hm?"

A single shoulder rose and fell in a graceful shrug, each step Rosalie took bringing her closer to Bella as the room faded out. "Hot date."

"Oh, do tell!" Bella tapped her chin, eyes lighting up. "Let me guess, a brunette? Charming, on the foolish side, great smile? You have a type, Miss Hale."

Emmett melted from his spot on the floor. "Aw, Boo-"

" _Shhh!"_ Alice hissed, her hands around his mouth as she hopped onto his shoulders. "This is adorable, you large baboon."

The smile on Bella's face threatened to crack as her chest shook with a chuckle. She waved her hand towards the two without taking her eyes from Rosalie. "Our peanut gallery has a point, you know."

"I don't remember signing a waiver for an audience," Rosalie hissed, dark eyes glaring at her sister. "Must you make every moment of my life difficult?"

The pixie grinned, shoulders scrunched up. "It's a habit at this point, Rose, you can't expect me to break a seventy-plus year routine all at once."

"I can and I do," Rosalie snapped. Her hands slid down to her hips, a mere foot away from Bella, her attention turned to the family and, more prominently, Alice. "I booked the house from seven pm to three in the morning, and it is seven ten, Alice. Scram."

Bella couldn't stop the snort if she tried. "You _booked the house?!"_

"Privacy must be planned under this roof."

Esme hopped to, clapping her hands and broken from the endeared spell she was under. "Right, right. Okay, you heard her, everyone scoot. This is Rosalie's time. Let's move."

"But-!"

Jasper wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, ushering her towards the french doors in the back of the room. "C'mon, darlin'. Have a wonderful night, ladies."

"Don't do anything I'd do!" Emmett boomed. His brows furrowed in thought before an obnoxiously large grin slid onto his face, a knowing glint in his eye. "Haha, but you _are_ gonna do what I've-"

Rosalie stepped forward threateningly but Bella placed a hand on her forearm, soft and warm and pulling all of Rosalie's attention. She regarded the large bear across the room, her own dark eyes twinkling with a danger that wiped the smirk from Emmett's face. "I don't think you want to know the things I'm able and willing to do... Emmett."

"Right, yes. Have – have a good night," he muttered towards the floor and closed the doors behind him.

The room was plunged into silence after that, the kind of silence that hung heavy in the air, that you could feel in your ears. Rosalie blinked her eyes, if only to have something to do, not one to fidget like she's seen Edward and even Jasper do. Fidgeting was a sign of weakness and no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she was incapable of making a _show_ of her shortcomings.

So she was stuck with blinking. Staring intently at the hardwood floor in front of the television, wondering why Bella was wearing boots and not slippers or glass heels or foot-wrappings – some other ridiculous article to go along with her enchanting outfit.

Instead of asking this, she turned to the brunette with a scowl on her face. "Are we not actually dating?"

"Aphrodite," Bella sighed out, the name a reverent whisper on her lips. She tossed her arms around the vampire, burying her face in the crook of Rosalie's neck, hugging her tightly. Warmly. An embrace that Rosalie could _feel_. Feel in her chest, her heart, her bones. Bella's warmth seeping through, settling in the centre of her being like a little glowing flame of... she didn't want to think about it. "Ten."

The vampire's mind latched onto the number like that of a drowning man latching onto a life-jacket. Her body was stiff and unresponsive, all of her concentration poured into staying very, _very_ still while Bella showered her with affection. Other than this number. This odd, random number that was as odd and random as the girl who spoke it.

Warm breath trickled down the collar of Rosalie's shirt and she finally moved; a hand coming up to touch Bella's elbow until the girl stepped back. "Ten?" she questioned curiously.

Humming to the tune coming from her bag (Rosalie noticed that while she didn't actively have the headphones hanging around her neck, music still played from them within her bag that hung off her shoulder. Another ratty, old beaten up thing that looked like it came straight out of the second world war. _God. It probably does._ Why did Bella have to be so interesting?), Bella shrugged and made for one of the comfier couches. "You'll see soon enough," she replied ambiguously and plopped down into the corner of the couch.

Her behemoth of a companion hoisted himself up next to her, making her bounce once with his sheer weight, before flopping down the length of the majority of the couch, leaving only a small space at the other end. Rosalie sighed, knowing she would get no answer to her question and debated if it was worth ever asking another one again.

"So, now that we have the entirety of the house to ourselves," Bella gestured around the empty room with a wiggle of her fingers, dark eyes dragging back to Rosalie still standing in the middle, "just what do you plan to do with me?"

Gold faded to amber, Rosalie tilting her head to the side with a suggestive quirk of her lips.

And though Bella looked _absolutely_ delighted, she lifted a finger. "Ah, ah. Nothing Emmett would do, remember?"

"Are you trying to tell me what to do in my own home, Bella?" Rosalie questioned haughtily. She made for the couch, trying to decide if she wanted the space at the other end that was free, or if she wanted to sit next to Bella. Ideally, she wanted the end space but knew that Bella didn't feel the Mate Pull, and thus she was forced to go to extra measures just to lure Bella in.

She assumed, at least. Bella was surprisingly cagey and getting a straight, blunt answer from her was seemingly impossible.

Rosalie stopped in front of Bella, the sides of their legs brushing, and raised an eyebrow at the furry ass next to her. Bella grinned and glanced down at Charlie. " _Judėk žemyn,"_ she commanded with a laugh. The two watched on with amused smiles as he huffed and tossed himself further down the couch, resting his large head on the arm of the couch. Bella looked back up at Rosalie. "Well?"

Despite her bravado, Rosalie hesitated. Amber eyes stared at the cushion next to Bella warily when Rosalie realized she was in the unique position of having to woo someone, having to court Bella. The only experience she had in courting was from her human years and the ghastly boys who tried for her favour, and Emmett. Who, bless his heart, was convenient and endearing more than he was romantic (though she suspected that having more to do with them not being mates than anything on either of their parts).

And now here she was, in an almost relationship with her _actual_ mate, someone who did not feel the same immediate bonds that Rosalie did. And Rosalie didn't even know what those bonds were, she had spent the better part of knowing Bella trying to ignore them. Endearment, to be sure, against her will. Perhaps even some affection, if she thought about it. But the devotion of a mate? Hardly. How could one devote themselves to a stranger? How could anyone expect her to-

Warmth tickled her wrist, dragged her back out of her spiralling thoughts and to the present. Rosalie blinked and looked down into Bella's concerned face to the feather light grip on her hand. Her anchor.

 _My anchor._

"It's just as friends," Bella said gently.

Rosalie watched her use her free hand to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, something in the vampire's chest clicking into place. The gentle concern, the intense understanding, the eternal patience... all these things called to Rosalie as she saw her Mate take shape in front of her. Sometimes it was difficult putting the two together; Bella in all her... Bellaness, and a faceless Mate that Rosalie had wondered, dreaded, and longed for all her life. She was beginning to see pieces of one in the other, to notice that Bella, on her own and as herself... _fit_ to what Rosalie wanted, what she needed. She only hoped she fit for Bella as well.

She forced her limbs to move and sat down next to Bella, never taking her eyes off of her. "That's not what I want."

"And what do you want, Aphrodite?" Bella asked easily. She leaned back into the corner of the couch to watch Rosalie closely.

The blonde looked back down to their hands that were still entwined before relaxing back into the couch. "I don't know," she answered truthfully.

"I'll be here when you decide," Bella promised. She breathed in deeply, letting out a happy sigh, and looked across the room to the television. "So, what's the plan for tonight? I see you've got a whole system set up over there."

Rosalie breathed easy, felt herself mould against Bella's side. "I've deduced you're a fan of film."

"You're so _old_!" Bella laughed and Rose was too distracted to be disgruntled by the potential insult. "I do! Do you? Do you have a favourite? Oh, look at all those black and whites. Do you have _popcorn?!"_

 **.**

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 **.**

Rosalie was waiting at her locker the next day, offering to carry her books and walk her to class. Bella laughed at the outdated view on just what _dating_ was but accepted the offer nonetheless. She held tight to Rosalie's hand, letting the blonde drag her to her next class, and clicked her tongue every time Rosalie asked her to take off the roller skates.

By the time they got to Bella's first class, Rosalie had discovered the the girl's favourite colour was orange, that while Bella had an eclectic taste in music (and _literally_ everything else) her favourite genre was alternative rock (so the tattoos and hippie/punk look were starting to make more sense), and she had lived in Forks for thirty years now. How she managed to stay put without the humans of the town noticing that she never aged, Rosalie could not get out of her, but was promised it was a discussion for another time.

Bella's dark eyes smouldered in the doorway as Rosalie turned to leave. "Nine," she heard Bella murmur under her breath before disappearing down the hall.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Have you called him yet?" Bella asked.

The four of them were laying in the Cullens' backyard. With the sun out and high up in the rarely clear Washington sky, Bella had dragged anyone who wanted to spend time with her, outside to enjoy it. So there she lounged back in the long lawn chair, a pair of sunglasses on her face in nothing but a bikini top and boardshorts, soaking up the rays.

Emmett personified a giant disco ball on the chair behind hers, decked out in his beach gear and sufficiently _reflecting_ the rays while he spoke with Bella. Eric and Angela, also fighting off their own sunburns, tried not to gawk at him.

Bella turned her head to the side, felt the sun roll down her neck, and cracked open an eye to peer at Eric. "Tch!" she clicked her tongue at him and watched the boy jolt in his chair, looking at her in surprise. "Think of Ben, you worm!"

"I-I wasn't – I – Bella, I think he'd understand! _Look_ at this man!" Eric stammered until Angela threw her towel at his face and he went toppling backwards into the grass. "Fair. Okay."

Oblivious, Emmett tossed his arm over his eyes and moaned petulantly. "No! Bella, what would I even say?!"

"And he's _gay_ , Angie," Eric muttered from the other side of his chair. "The universe is testing my control."

The girl scoffed. She shielded her eyes and took a sip from her drink before turning narrowed eyes on Eric. "Boy, you need to fly out to see Ben and get _laid_. You're so wound up and one look at sparkly man-boobs here and you're ready to snap!"

"I _know!"_ Eric whined and threw himself backwards in the grass again. "God, Bella, how do you stand it?"

"I get mine," Bella replied without missing a beat and turned her head back towards Emmett. "You say _Hey, this is Emmett, I would very much like to get to know you. Would you like to go for coffee?_ Except don't use coffee, that's so overdone. Seth likes video games too! Invite him here!"

"Yes, I'll just invite a Shifter into the house full of Vampires, Bella..." Emmett huffed.

She winced. "Fair point. Okay, invite him to an arcade!"

"That's..." his eyebrows slowly inched up in forehead until Emmett turned onto his stomach to look over his chair at Bella. "That's actually a pretty good idea!"

"Yes, I have many of them, you should listen sometime."

From her other side, Angela snorted and muttered something that had Emmett barking out a laugh. Bella's brows lowered, her lip jutting out in a pout, but the human paid her no mind. "Emmett, the wolves are always talking about how vampires smell badly."

"Ouch," he replied with wide eyes.

"Oh!" she gasped, hand flying up to her mouth, the other reaching out towards him. "Not! Okay, no, that came out wrong. Sorry. Seth hasn't said anything, specifically, I was just. Don't wolves smell to you, as well?"

"Like garbage that's rotting under a heap of wet dog," Rosalie replied smoothly.

Bella also flipped onto her stomach to look over the back of her chair, past Emmett and to the woods her sparkling rose was stepping out of. Something in her chest lurched, fingers digging into the back of the chair painfully, and she swallowed roughly.

Seemingly noticing this, a smirk curled at Rosalie's lips and she sauntered towards the group of chairs. Her eyes never left Bella's, even through the sunglasses.

Emmett glanced between the two, and couldn't decide if he wanted to risk waggling his eyebrows. He sighed instead and turned back to Angela. "He didn't smell bad to me, which makes me think I don't smell bad to him. So that's pretty lucky. He just smelled like sand and smoke to me, like a bonfire."

"A different scent depending on your bond?" Angela mused to herself. She turned intrigued green eyes onto Bella, who was still enraptured with the blonde that reached her chair. "What does Rosalie smell like?"

"Roses!" Emmett chirped happily. "Super sweet roses."

Dark eyes traced her glittering goddess, Bella reached out her hand to lace her fingers with Rosalie. She'd noticed that her vampire was usually in a much more accommodating mood fresh after a hunt. " _Sunshine,"_ Bella purred and tugged the blonde down onto her lap. "Eight."

"And just what does sunshine smell like?" Rosalie challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Bella surged forward, following her as she lay back against the end of the chair. Delightfully toned arms braced themselves on either side of Rosalie, gripping the chair tightly. Rosalie appreciated the way the sun bounced off the green of Bella's tattoo, the way the bold, dark lines still stood out. She couldn't stop from tracing her fingertips along the ink, feeling Bella shiver beneath her touch. "You," she brunette declared with impossibly dark eyes. "Seven."

A blast of water caught Bella in the side of the face, knocking her glasses off and the girl to the ground beside the chair. While the others laughed and Rosalie scowled at the sky, Eric ducked under his own chair to meet Bella's disoriented gaze. "If I have to keep it in my pants, so do you!"

"You little-"

" _Ouch!"_ Eric jolted up to his feet, hand on his rear and face pink. "Bella!" he shouted and waved a fist at her. "That's cheating!"

She shrugged her shoulders when he reached down to rip the prickly plant out of the ground from its stem, holding up the evidence of her bad form. Angela was laughing and trying to school her features into something serious. "Poor taste, Bella, poor taste," she tried to say without giggling.

She burst out laughing again as Eric rubbed at his prickled butt.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The entire house shuddered, the very ground supporting its foundation trembling, and-

Bella jolted up on the couch with a gasp falling from her lips, bleary eyes shooting open. She swallowed roughly, hand in her hair. Charlie's massive head fell to her lap as he stood before the couch, concerned brown eyes staring up at her loyally. She scratched his ears, leaning down to press her face into the fur atop his head. "It was just a dream," she murmured into his fur.

He whined, deep and low in his chest, and she sighed deeply.

"I know, I know." Bella sat back up, staring out the window across the dingy living room as she ran her fingers through his fur. "I need to sleep soon. God. I _just_ found her, I don't want to leave her, Charlie. I don't want to leave any of them. I will _lose_ Angela and Eric, forever."

Charlie let out a deep, adorable " _boof!"_ and sat in front of the couch.

She hummed thoughtfully and slid down onto the ground beside him, leaning into his warm, furry side. "I also don't have a bloodline to watch over me. All the Swans are gone." Bella scratched her cheek, her dark eyes far and distant as she watched the sun peek up over the trees in the side yard. "How did things get so messy?" She grinned, a chuckle bubbling up out of her chest. "Ah, yes, the sixties. No plans made it out of that decade intact."

God, she really needed to sleep.

 **.**

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 **.**

"I will find where you're hiding all the sparkles, Alice Cullen!"

Jasper threw himself sideways against the wall as Alice came torpedoing down the hallway. He blinked wide golden eyes at her blurred form tearing around the corner and down the staircase. "What's-"

"Howdy, Cowboy!" Bella chimed as she skirted around his side, patting the top of his head on her way.

He spun the other way to watch her launch herself down the stairs, sliding on the rail to try and catch up to his mad, little demon wife. "Be careful!" he barked out at her. "What the – jeez."

"A girl is entitled to her secrets, Bella!" Alice giggled as she dashed through the dining room and to the kitchen.

Esme was twirled towards the entrance way, caught in Bella's strong, warm grip. "Girls!" she reprimanded with a confused laugh. "What's the meaning of this?"

"The pursuit of knowledge, Miss Esme!" Bella declared. She eyed Alice intently, both girls slowly circling around the kitchen island. Bella poked her finger into the cookie batter, scooping out a glob to pop in her mouth.

The matriarch of the family clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Bella, that's for cookies."

"And darn good cookies they'll be."

Alice placed her palms on the marble top of the island. "You don't wanna do this, Bella. I'm fast. I'll make it out the door before you can even _blink."_

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Bella laughed. "Come on. Show me what you got, Tiny Wall."

"What do you have planned?"

"Nothing, nothing. Have you ever been hugged by a tree?"

Alice laughed, shaking her head, black spikes bouncing in a mesmerizing way that was entirely too distracting for Bella. "What _are_ you? Can you do that?"

"I can do-"

"Many things, yes, yes, we know," Rosalie sighed into her magazine without looking up as she wandered into the room.

Alice grinned and Bella huffed, a pout on her face. They both moved simultaneously, Bella to lean up on her toes and place a lingering kiss against Rosalie's astonished face (her cheek, more accurately, Bella will later note), and Alice shooting off towards the front door. " _Damn it_ , Aphrodite!" Bella cursed with a stomp of her foot. Her dark eyes briefly met surprised gold, cheeks scrunching up in a grin that crinkled her face. "Six."

Both vampires were left in the wake of Bella and Alice's game, Esme holding back her coo while Rosalie held her cheek.

 **.**

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 **Whaaaat? Two postings in two days? Maybe three, I've got something else I wanted to post too, but haven't quite decided if I should or not. Anyway, it's for making you wait so long. Gosh. I don't deserve you guys.**

 **Anywho, how'd you like it? Also, _check out Cloud's project._ A fanfiction of my fanfiction, boyos. _Oh my god._ Read it, enjoy it, tell him what you think, tell _me_ what you think. I'm super psyched about it.**

 **Peace!**

 **paige**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

Rosalie looked particularly smug that day.

It was a look not a lot of people could pull off without appearing, well, douchy. Obnoxious. Like they were begging to be taken down a notch. Their confidence was misplaced, their motivations sour and not strong enough to hold up the weight of their arrogance.

Rosalie did not have this problem. The vampire was very sure of everything she did, which... okay, that wasn't quite accurate. She was almost always uncertain but even her level of uncertainty was more certain than most people would ever reach. Nothing she did was taken lightly, was not examined in every different aspect she could think of.

She didn't react, she _calculated._

Except, perhaps, when it came to a certain brunette who proved to be _exceptionally_ difficult to calculate.

Still. On that fateful Friday, Rosalie had arrived at the school with a curl to her lips that invited intrigue and wonder from the rest of the student body. It was the happiest and least severe anyone had ever seen the blonde before; sitting atop the trunk of Edward's Volvo, one leg crossed over the other as she bopped her foot along to an unheard beat. Her golden eyes sparkled when they landed on Angela's old beat up car, perfectly manicured nails tapping eagerly against the metal of the trunk as she waited for the occupants to leave the car.

Excited as she was, she wasn't about to hop around like a little puppy while she waited to greet Bella.

(even if she _felt_ it, deep in her chest)

She watched her mate slip out of the car and breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of skates. Bella was quirky and adorable and Rosalie... _cared_ a great deal for all of that about her, but sometimes it made the girl... unreachable. Rosalie understood exactly what Sarah had meant that day in the comic shop. There were parts of Bella, even to Rosalie herself, that remained untouched. Hidden away behind colourful clothing and beaming grins, behind odd words and weird antics.

Bella hopped to a stop just before the trunk, her warm hands coming up to rest atop Rosalie's thigh. The vampire felt her chest tremble with a purr that she swallowed down. Bella was always... _delightfully_ warm. She raised a golden brow, tilting her head down to meet a pair of dark eyes that peered up at her as if she put the sun and moon in the sky. "Can I help you?"

"If you can't, nobody can."

Golden eyes rolled to the sky as Rosalie tucked the answer away in the back of her mind, registered that the playful tone didn't meet the shadow lurking behind those eyes. "Needy," she scoffed.

Bella guffawed and those warm palms slid up to grab the blonde's hips, dragging her down to the edge of the trunk until a stone knee was on either side of her. "Someone likes to be chased."

"I think someone likes chasing," Rosalie replied airily until she finally looked back down at Bella. Bella, whose smile was so big it crinkled her eyes. Rosalie's fingers brushed against her heart at the phantom heartbeat. "The things you do to me."

"I haven't even begun," Bella promised.

Dark amber swirled into the golden, the two staring back at one another with a silent dare in their eyes-

" _Rosalie!"_ Edward hissed in mortification. He straightened his collar and looked around the parking lot anxiously. "You _cannot_ do that here and _certainly_ not on my car."

Bella's eyebrows hooked up and her mouth was already curving up into a smirk. "Oh, oh! What? What's this? Double Dee, what was she-"

"You will _never_ see this car again if you breathe a word of it," Rosalie warned the boy with a sharp look. "Not even the air freshener."

He deflated enough that the others snickered and began breaking off to go to class. He offered a pouty apology to Bella before dragging his feet after Alice, while Bella stepped back to let Rosalie hop down off the trunk. "You're a _dirty_ vampire!" she laughed.

"Hush, you've no idea what he was talking about," Rosalie murmured as her lips ticked up. Her cool fingers laced together with Bella's without a thought, the two walking towards the tall building. "I would like to take you on a date tonight."

Bella hummed and chewed on her lip thoughtfully. She glanced sideways at the blonde and how much focus Rosalie was putting into walking to class. "Another one?"

"A proper one."

"What does that mean?" she wondered aloud.

Rosalie shook her head, eyes falling to their boots. Hers, a nice sleek pair, Bella's large and clunky and the toes covered in paint. Her smile softened and she swiped her thumb across the back of Bella's hand, hoping her actions conveyed a message she couldn't bring herself to speak aloud yet. "You'll see. Wear something nice."

"Where are we going?"

"What part of 'surprise' do you not understand?"

"All of it," Bella pouted seriously. "English is hard."

This time it was Rosalie looking at Bella thoughtfully as they stopped outside of Bella's first class. She let go of the girl's hand to cross her arms over her chest, leaning sideways against the doorframe. "How many languages do you know?"

"That's complicated," Bella replied ambiguously, as always.

Something Rosalie was both growing accustom to but tired of. She sighed roughly, the smile on her face fading. "Do you not trust me?"

"You know I do."

"I know no such thing."

Bella sighed this time. Her hands fell down to slide into her pockets. Her shoulders drooped, the smile wiped off her face for a wistful look. Gone was the seemingly young girl Rosalie had first met in the comic shop, replaced by the _old_ , tired soul she caught glimpses of now and then. Eyes that aged older than Rosalie had ever come across in all her years. "I've forgotten more than I know these days." She shook her head, rubbing the back of her neck as she avoided Rosalie's curious gaze. "I don't... I don't like talking about it."

"I have a right to know you," Rosalie found herself saying. It wasn't what she thought she was going to say, what she _wanted_ to say. She wanted to tell Bella to take as long as she needed, that she knew how hard it was to dig up a painful past you'd rather stay buried. That she just wanted Bella to know that _anything_ the girl said was safe with Rosalie, that there would never be judgement.

But, of course, that's not what came out.

Good intentions were carved down into words sharp as blades in Rosalie's mouth.

Bella sighed again and the mask was back. A charming, goofy grin on her face. "Probably," she replied with a nod. Her fingers brushed against Rosalie's arm, feather light and softer than air. "Be careful what you wish for, Aphrodite," she warned quietly before ducking into the room.

 **.**

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 **.**

Three lunch trays all dropped around the Cullens' picnic table, three warm bodies dropping down onto the benches moments later. Eric grinned up at Emmett who hesitated before awkwardly patting the top of the boy's head and Rosalie tried not to shift away from Angela.

She glared daggers at Alice who slipped onto Bella's lap to make more room on her, Jasper, and Edward's side. She watched how easily the two existed around each other, how neither gave a single thought to Bella wrapping her arms around Alice to reach her lunch, or how Alice melted back into Bella.

Not the conscious thought that Rosalie had to put in, the effort she summoned up just to sit close enough to Bella that their legs brushed.

Rosalie wondered if it was because they were just friends. If the lack pressure of... _whatever_ she and Bella had, helped with the simplicity of their closeness. Her golden eyes wandered to the girl's side, mere inches away from Jasper. Jasper, who was in agony being in the same room as most people. Sitting there without a care in the world, looking as tranquil as ever.

Was it Bella, then? Did everyone gravitate towards her presence, like flowers stretching up to the sun? Was she the only person on the planet who struggled to simply _be_ near her? Was something wrong with her? Has she become so cold and closed off, that not even a soul as genuine, as soft, as warm as Bella, could be enough to relax around?

"We consider the things that are important to us," Edward muttered into his tray without looking up.

Angela and Eric looked confused, exchanging glances with each other before looking back to the boy. Jasper leaned closer to Edward to meet their eyes. "He's a telepath, so if it doesn't make sense, he's not talking to you."

"So cool."

"Creepy."

The humans looked at each other again in exasperation while Bella's lips curved up in a grin. She met Rosalie's eye across the table and was surprised to see the dark look in them.

Edward chuckled. "Not always. I was particularly talented at reading people when I was human. Vampirism just... enhanced that, to telepathy apparently."

Eric's eyes widened. "Holy cow. Angela! How are you not floored right now?!"

"Careful, Edward," Rosalie warned. Her eyes remained locked with Bella's. Intensity met confusion. "We wouldn't want to share too much, would we? Lest we know each other more than just passing strangers."

The confusion melted into a pout, Bella hugging Alice tighter to her. "That's not fair."

"Rose..." Alice sighed softly. "Now's not the time."

The blonde scoffed. She leaned back from the table, lifting a hand to motion around them. "What do the others care if my _friend_ and I squabble."

"We're not just friends-"

"In fact, we're hardly that," Rosalie countered.

Narrowed eyebrows, a dark glare threatened to crack across her face, Bella rested her chin on Alice's shoulder. Rosalie could almost feel her defensive instinct to lash out melt away at to surprise. She wasn't totally sure Bella was capable of being anything other than a ray of sunshine.

Bella breathed in slowly, releasing a shaky breath. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

 _No._

"Yes."

Alice blinked wide eyes. "Bella, don't," she warned under her breath. "Rose, stop."

"What do you know, Alice? You can't _see_ her, but we still don't know why. Edward can't _read_ her, but we still don't know why. Jasper can't _feel_ her, but we still. Don't. Know. Why." Rosalie shook her head, the scowl on her face fierce and pained. "We don't know anything about her. So what could you _possibly_ be stopping her from? What is she going to do?"

The table remained silent, each pair of eyes on her. Except, she noticed, the humans. The humans, who were watching Bella anxiously. Angela was tensed, ready to react at the drop of a hat. Eric looked pale, like he was going to be sick. _They_ both knew something, knew something that the others didn't.

Something Rosalie didn't.

Slowly, she turned to Angela who winced but kept her eyes on Bella. On Bella's still form, her dark and stormy gaze peering over Alice's shoulder, unmoving, unblinking, regarding Rosalie intently. The blonde rested her elbow on the table to lean into Angela's view. "You know what she'll do, don't you?"

"You should probably walk away," Angela muttered under her breath.

"No need," Bella replied from her side of the table. She slid out from under Alice, her movements slow and measured but still made Angela and Eric jump. Dark eyes regarded Rosalie blankly. "I'll go."

The others watched her leave in a heavy silence.

The rest of lunch was spent in that same awkward silence as everyone picked at their food, even the humans. Eager to be rid of the tension, most of them broke off to head to their next class early. Emmett with a pat on Rosalie's shoulder, Edward with an understanding look, Alice with an indignant huff. Rosalie waited for them all to leave, and was surprised at the heartbeat that remained.

She blinked down at Angela lazily, chin in her palm. "What?" she finally said when it was clear the human was waiting for her.

Angela slowly got to her feet. She fiddled with her bag, green eyes sweeping across the campus, before landing back on Rosalie. "Just..." she sighed and shook her head. "Take care, okay? I may not be your biggest fan – to say nothing of the fact I'm not totally sure if I'm on board with the vampire thing or not, but... I'm not aching to see you get hurt."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged her shoulders, glancing back out towards the school. "She hides it well enough that it's easy to forget, but you and I know different." Angela met Rosalie's curious gaze again. "Deep down in your gut, in that sharp part of you that refuses to soften, even around her, you know what she is."

Rosalie scoffed dismissively and looked away. "I, clearly, know nothing of my supposed mate. Not like you. Not like the human friend she's known, what, _maybe_ a handful of years? So you tell me, enlighten me, as to what she is, if I already know?"

"Dangerous," Angela said seriously. The catty response died on Rosalie's tongue at the look in the human's eye. "The kind of dangerous that wakes me up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night."

Intrigued lingered around the edges of Rosalie's voice, her face more open than Angela had ever seen in person. The human shuffled back a step as Rosalie eased forward. "I thought you were chums? You sound... scared of her."

"We are chums," Angela laughed mirthlessly. She shook her head. "Good friends, actually. I"m just not blind, I'm aware of what she is, and I know what it can mean. What is _has_ meant. I _love_ Bella, I do. I adore her as much as another person can platonically adore someone. So believe me when I say the _only_ life on this planet truly safe from Bella Swan is her dumb plants. If I caught her on a bad day, in one of her worse moods, I have no doubt in my mind that she would slit my throat to keep me from stepping on one of her precious flowers."

More information locked away, even as Rosalie rejected it. Impossible. Bella would never. _Never._ She had seen the girl herd a bee out the window just to keep the professor from killing it as it bumbled around the classroom. Bella was _incapable_ of hurting someone. "I'll keep that in mind," Rosalie replied dully.

No. Angela was wrong. She was _wrong._ Bella was good and pure and precious. She was everything Rosalie wasn't. That's how this worked. She wasn't dark and broken, no.

No!

Because that would mean that something, someone broke her. And _that?_ That was just unacceptable. Rosalie would die before she let someone hurt Bella.

"Do that," Angela said softly. "For your sake and your family's, because I think Bella's gotten so good at hiding it, she even fools herself these days."

And once again, Rosalie watched the last occupant of the table leave her, in true and utter silence. Her mind churned over the girl's words, her warnings, and the implications of it all. Of what she knew, what she suspected, and what she feared.

As always, when it came to Bella, Rosalie wasn't sure how she felt. She only knew she was drawn back to the brunette, knew that she had to fix what she was, potentially, in the middle of ruining. More than that, though, she knew she needed answers.

Perhaps her motivations weren't the best, were on the selfish side, but her questions were just. She had a _right_ to know Bella, especially with her family in such close proximity.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Alice was waiting on the porch when Angela dropped Bella off. She sat on the railing, her feet swinging side to side, hands braced on either side of her, while her golden eyes almost glowed in the dark. Her smile was wide and friendly, but there was something tense about it.

Bella awkwardly shuffled closer, in time to watch Alice lean back towards the closed door and angle her face back. "A polka-dot bow tie and suspenders. Do the third one I showed you!" she called back.

Bella hooked her thumbs around the straps of her suspenders with a small pout on her face. "Does she really not approve of my clothes?"

"It's cute, don't worry." Alice waved off her concerns, head tilting to the side. "Not that she'd ever say it aloud, but she thinks you're adorable. Most of us do, in fact."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bella replied with a cheeky grin. She grabbed the railing, hoisting herself up to sit beside the pixie, arms wobbling out until she caught her balance. "Whatcha doing out here, Tiny Wall?"

"Contemplating."

"An excellent habit. Anything in particular?"

Golden eyes shifted, caught Bella's look. "You."

"A less excellent habit." Bella popped her lips together a few times and finally sighed, shoulders slumping, and stared down at her boots. "What do you want to know?"

"Would you tell me?"

"Depends." Bella shrugged. "I'd be more inclined if you were, say, about a foot taller, had golden waves cascading around your shoulders, eyes cold as ice and hard as diamond, and spat acid in the form of words."

Alice let out a surprised laugh, her face lighting up. "And you're _drawn_ to that?"

Bella also laughed, nodding her head for good measure. "I'm gonna marry that woman."

Laughing so hard she fell backwards, Alice landed gracefully on her feet and held her stomach. "Even Emmett wasn't brave enough to seek that out. He usually hid until she was in a better mood."

"Yeah, well, he wasn't her soulmate, was he?"

"I thought _I_ was your soulmate?" Alice pouted playfully.

"You know you're my number one space-dust girl."

Alice clicked her tongue, hesitating just outside the door. "You lothario," she teased. A moment passed, the playful mood falling to a more serious one. Alice lowered her voice, her hand on the doorknob. "When are you going to tell Rose that you love her?"

Eyes drifted to the door, warm fingers brushing against the wood. Bella hummed softly under her breath, a thoughtful look of sorrow on her face. "When it won't hurt her."

"When did you know?" the pixie asked curiously.

A warm smile curled Bella's lips as her thoughts drifted back to that first day. Images of an angel bathed in the light spilling in front her shop's door, the bewildered look on Rosalie's face and the explosion of intensity when their eyes met. "When she told me to visit another human petting zoo."

" _What?"_

Bella laughed, loud and full and warm. "She kept trying to brush me off, like I was just some... girl in a comic shop selling comics to her. But she remembered. When she said that, I knew she was thinking about me, and it was just... _cute_ that she was pretending she didn't care."

"Did you know you were her mate?"

Oddly enough, a light blush dusted across the top of Bella's cheeks and the tips of her ears. Alice marvelled at it, at such a human reaction, and the fact that she knew Bella's heart... well, that she didn't have a heartbeat. Bella scuffed her shoe against the porch and looked down at her feet. "I was pretty sure, yes. It was the only thing that made sense, her reaction to me, a complete stranger."

"I think that is just _so..."_ Alice hesitated, her head tilting to the side. She pressed her lips together, eyes sparkling with mischief as she stared up at Bella. "You can't hide from a psychic, Rose. She's waiting out back for you now, Bella."

With a nod, Bella stuffed her hands into her pockets and headed back down the porch to make for the backyard. She paused in the driveway, looking back up at Alice who waited at the door. "Did she hear any of that?"

"Nope!" Alice made a criss-cross over her heart. "She was in her room and Esme has gone to great lengths to create private, solitary spaces for us. Your adorable secret is safe with me. _Buuuut_ she can hear us now that she's outside."

"Will you hear-"

"Yes," the pixie nodded again but this time with a pout on her face, "so that's why we're going out. The others should be along any moment. You'll have your privacy."

"Well don't look too torn up about it," Bella laughed.

She watched Alice stick her tongue out at her and shook her head with a fond smile, circling around the large house. It was a beautiful, mostly clear night with only a few large clouds threatening to blot out the moon. The air had a chilly bite to it, unsurprising for mid-October. Bella felt it against her skin, knew it was cold, but her bones remained warm. Always toasty, with freshly sun-kissed skin.

Her footing faltered when she stepped around the corner of the house and into the backyard. "You... did this for me?" Bella murmured as she stepped into the backyard. Posts were strategically placed to string little white lights around the yard, lighting up the makeshift garden Rosalie had assembled. Potted plants dragged to the back and formed an intricate swirl around the flat stone path. Flowers had been planted anywhere there wasn't stone or wooden platform deck.

This is where Rosalie had disappeared to after lunch.

"Esme helped," the blonde muttered uncomfortably.

Finally, Bella eyes landed on her, on the beautiful, thoughtful, angry looking vampire standing in the middle of the flat stones and Bella _knew_ without any shred of uncertainty or doubt, they were _dancing_ there tonight. She'd make sure of it. They were _dancing._ "Five," she blurted and reached up to cover her grin and laugh. "Four. _Three_."

"What _is_ that?"

Rosalie had her arms crossed over her chest, and even that couldn't stop her rich, red dress from hanging beautifully and perfectly off her body. Dark amber eyes regarded her curiously, guarded, but bright enough against the dark that Bella could see the rings of honey-gold in them. She shuffled closer towards her vampire, watched Rosalie watch her, watched the blonde's grip on her arms tighten the closer Bella got. Was it restraint? Was it _fear?_ "I have seen the rise and fall of empires," Bella told her quietly. "The birth and death of stars. Chaos so beautiful it would steal the very breath from your lungs." She stopped just in front of the vampire, tilting her head up to meet that powerful gaze. "I would trade it all in a _heartbeat_ just to have one more second with you tonight."

"Bella, I'm not. It's not. Angela's scared of you-" Rosalie started rushing out.

Bella flinched back slightly. "I know, I'm-"

"No, she's." Rosalie shook her head, huffed out the breath she had in frustration. "It's not about what you are, it's not even about you. It's about me. I'm not like the others."

Dark eyes danced. "Not even a little bit."

"You-. Stop being charming, I'm trying to tell you something," Rosalie warned with an accusatory finger. Even still, she could not smother the delighted sparkle in her gaze. "I'm _not_ like the others. Like Angela, or Alice, or the others before me. I know I'm not your mate, but you're mine. I'm a vampire and you're my mate and that _changes_ things, even for you."

"I know."

"No, you-"

Warm fingers brushed against Rosalie's arm again and, god, she was going to have to learn how to be more touchy because she was starting to understand that Bella was a _very_ tactile person. "Rose. I know. You're not like the others. You're not like anyone else."

An awkward silence threatened to steal the night, Rosalie working her jaw silently. She shook her head again and stared over Bella's shoulder. "I see how you're with the others, how you're with even Angela and Eric. I don't know about your past lovers – god, I can barely even say that. I don't know about them, but I'm different. I don't know if you waited to tell them or if you spilled it as fast as you did for the humans."

 _Not_ what she meant to say.

Especially when Bella actually stepped backwards. Away from her. She was ruining it. She was _ruining_ it like she knew she would. She should have _never_ stepped into that comic store.

"I lost my brother because of what I am," Bella whispered softly. Her hand reached out to touch the post closest to her, fingers dancing around the warm, little light shining so softly. "Both of them, actually. I lost everyone and everything because of what I am. So I push it away, pretend I'm just... weird. Different. Hide it, hide from it. I don't want to lose any more. I don't want to lose you and – and the humans. I have to tell them, if they get close."

Bella looked back up at her and Rosalie's internal alarms blared at her as she gazed at dark, watery eyes. She instinctively stepped forward, reaching for Bella but falling short as the girl shrank in on herself. "I try so hard to keep them away, but I... I can't. I can't do it. So I have to tell them. It's the only way to keep them safe." Regret and anger swirled together in a dizzying mix.

"They have to know what to look for. They need to know when to run. Because I..." Bella laughed but the sound was hollow and made Rosalie's stomach flip. The girl shook her head. "Damn it. I heard Angela warning you, and it makes me sick. Like thick, oily goo in my stomach. What she said about flowers and h-hurting her. I wish I could say she's wrong, that it's not true. _God,_ I wish I could." Rosalie's eyebrows shot up. "But on a bad day, during one of my worse moods... Rosalie, I'm capable of truly horrible things. In fact, the only thing I'm _not_ capable of is stopping myself."

Rosalie stepped into Bella's personal space, dropped her chin to her chest to try and meet the girl's eye. Reluctance hung around her like a shroud, one that Rosalie had to reach through. She brushed her thumb against Bella's chin, lifting it and tilting that beautiful face up to her. "Bella..."

"Anything I say, anything I tell you about myself." Bella blinked and tears escaped, streaking under her glasses and down her cheeks. "I'm not sharing, Aphrodite. I'm _warning_ you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Rosalie promised vehemently. Her brows furrowed and her free hand slid into Bella's, holding tight until Bella squeezed her hand back. "I'm not some flimsy little human, Bella. I'm a vampire and I can take care of myself."

"I know." Bella nodded and sniffled. Her smile was watery. "I think that's why I'm so hesitant. Part of me hopes you'll just... run. It'd be safer that way."

"Your melodrama doesn't scare me."

A scoff but that look in her eyes, that haunted, frightened, self-loathing look remained. "It scares me. I don't want to hurt you."

"I can take it." Rosalie's shoulder lifted and fell simply.

"I don't want to _do_ it! I don't want to _hurt_ anyone!" Bella cried out in frustration.

"Then you won't."

"It's not that easy," she huffed.

"Then I won't let you."

Desperation threatened to drown her and she shook her head. Rosalie wasn't getting it. She wasn't _getting_ it. "It's not that _easy_."

"Clearly you've never sparred with me," the blonde replied airily in a dismissal. She inspected her nails without a care. "I'm reigning champion in the Cullen House."

And finally Bella caught on. The smile was a little more natural, a little easier to bring up. She chuckled, wiping at her cheeks. "Aphrodite... did you just make a joke?"

"Yes, I'm actually quite hilarious," Rosalie told her seriously.

"I can't tell if that's another joke or not!"

Finally, Rosalie let a soft smile crack across her face. She turned to walk back over to the middle of the flat stones, lifting a hand to motion towards her handy-work. "I realize I'm not... the best at sharing, myself. Opening up. I've been demanding to know you when I've made no effort to give you anything in return. It wasn't fair and I'm sorry. I have no _rights_ over you."

"It's okay-"

"No." Rosalie turned back to her with a sharp look. "I had a very easy human life. Wealthy parents, I never wanted for anything, and my beauty was... the human version of this."

"So breathtaking."

A broken smile. "Yes. It was easy but it was also horrible. I hated it. But it was mine, I made it mine, and I was trying to make it into something better, something _good."_ Rosalie took a breath, black eyes meeting Bella's. "And then I was killed. I'm not sure if that's had something to do with who I am now. Why I'm always so... so angry and scared. But I do know I forget, when you're around. I forget I'm sad and angry and scared. I forget that I was killed. That I ever existed in such a cold, dark place, when you burn so bright and warm like the sun."

"Rosalie..."

"I was," she continued with a shake of her head. "I was in that place and I was killed and I am angry, and I'm not good at _this._ As much as I'm better with you, it's still a process. I'm still learning. So I'm going to make mistakes. I'm going to do things and say things like I did at lunch today."

Bella nodded. "I know." She grinned suddenly, a chuckle shaking her shoulders. "We're a hot mess of chaos on our own, aren't we."

"I don't understand how we're functioning people," Rosalie agreed. "But if you still want to be around me, _knowing_ it gets worse... then I'm here. I'm trying."

"I told you already," Bella shuffled closer slowly, circling the edges of the stones towards the grass and flowers. "I want all of you. Good and bad."

"Fine," Rosalie huffed. Her lips twitched up at the corners, even as she rolled her eyes. "Remember that the next time I throw a fit and demand to know what you are."

"A god."

"Yeah," she scoffed playfully. "That's just what this relationship needs. _More_ ego."

Bella laughed as her chest buzzed with a warmth she'd never felt before. "That's what they called us," she said with a shrug. Rosalie glanced back at her with soft confusion on her face. "Or angels. We took to Gods more though, our pride demanded it. Personally, I was happy to sidestep the religious aspect of it all, and somehow angels seemed _more_ religious. That's not to say we weren't worshipped. _I_ wasn't." Bella waved her hands as if to physically dispel that thought. "Or, well, I tried really hard not to be. I _told_ them not to, but you can't stop people from believing what they want. I took down all the temples they tried to build, though, I feel like that counts towards my humility."

"Excuse me?" Rosalie's head tilted to the side, brows furrowed. "Are you trying to tell me you're some kind of _god?"_

Bella smiled sheepishly. "That depends on your understanding of the word. I associate it with what I know _I_ am. You, however, may associate it with something completely different. Or something frustratingly similar. Go back a few hundred years and I'm sure you could find some misinformed human who would call you a god."

"So you're _not_ a god?"

"No," Bella shook her head, "well. Not... really but... kinda." A pout jutted out her bottom lip. "I am a... _being_ of certain ability... that people often refer to as a god. So yes. Technically. But also no. Mostly no."

Rosalie ran a hand through her hair. "Great. That's perfectly clear. Okay, so I'm mated to a god. Gods walk amongst men. Edward's going to shit a brick. There are _gods_ just waltzing around."

"No, that's not true. I'm the only one you'll ever find," Bella murmured quietly, idly, as she watched the blonde try to absorb what she was saying.

Amber eyes regarded her. "You're the last one."

"Oh, no. Not... not the last. Almost."

"Where are the others?"

Bella rubbed her palms on her thighs. "Buried." She caught Rosalie's eye and a smirk tugged the corner of her lips up. "Not dead-buried. Just buried. I, uh... okay. I know you guys get a kick out of my little flower tricks."

"Little flower tricks?" Rosalie repeated. As far as she knew, the closest anyone else had ever come to something like that was Benjamin, and even then he mostly just made the ground tremble. He relied heavily on the other elements.

"Yeah..." Bella raised her hands up beside her in a sort of sheepish shrug. She watched Rosalie's eyes widen, felt the ground shift and move beneath her feet. Knew that small trees sprouted up and wound around the posts Rosalie had placed, lifting the lights higher up above them. The freshly planted flowers in the ground spilled out, overlapping the flat stones and seeping into the yard. New ones popped up amongst them, vibrant green vines lacing against the wire of the lights Rosalie had hung, falling down, back and forth in between the post-tree hybrids to create a more secluded area around the flat stones.

Rosalie stepped forward, ducking under the thick branch of a close tree. She pushed the string of vines and light out of her way, turning around and around to marvel at it all. "Those are trees."

"Hah. Yup."

"Actual trees."

"Yeah."

"Grown trees. Trees that look like they've been here for _years_."

"Mhmm."

"It's been seconds."

"You understand humanity's confusion, then."

"You're a _god_?" Rosalie whirled around on her mate with wide eyes.

Dark eyes crinkled happily. "I'm Bella." She waved a hand at the wall of trees off to the side. "And I buried the other three remaining."

"Why?" Rosalie asked softly, quietly. Careful not to startle the calm mood that had settled over the area, that Bella felt safe enough in to open up and share.

Shadows danced in eyes that were already as dark as the night. "There were only four of us left and I had to stop them before there were none."

"What happened to the others?"

A deep sigh heaved Bella's shoulders. She popped her lips together a few times and held up a finger. She was gone before Rosalie could blink, and back before she could suck in a surprised breath. "More of a party trick," Bella explained it quickly, as she tucked a speaker up in one of the tree's branches. Soft music spilled from it, filling the little area around them, and Bella turned back to Rosalie, offering her hand. "Some things I just... I can't talk about. Not yet. _But_ \- I will answer as many questions as I can, if I may have this dance."

Golden eyes regarded her closely, Rosalie watching her intently like she was the answer to everything in life. She hummed thoughtfully and lifted her chin. "No, sorry, we don't negotiate with terrorists."

"Pace yourself, women, that's three jokes in one evening! You're going to run out of steam," Bella teased and her eyes danced. "Or material."

"Cheeky," Rosalie hissed quietly with a wicked smile. She slid her hand into Bella's, felt the girl's warmth encompass her. Felt safe and _happy_. "You said your family is ruled by emotions," Rosalie began thoughtfully as they swayed to the soft beat. Bella hummed in response, pulling Rosalie tighter against her. "Angela and Eric are frightened when you get upset, of your _worse moods_. They flinch even at something that _may_ upset you." Bella said nothing but still nodded. "And you told me that your pride demanded you claim the name god. You could never actually bring yourself to cause someone harm... not unless you were angry."

"Pity the soul that suffers the wrath of a god," Bella muttered darkly.

Rosalie nodded towards the speaker, pulling back enough to look down at meet Bella's eye. Intensity, anxiety, desperation, and hope reflected back at her. "The music isn't just frivolous, is it? It's a tool you use to help balance your emotions."

"Two."

Her head tilted to the side.

Bella tried to tame the smile on her face, chewed at her lip, but couldn't stop it growing. "You're _obsessed_ with me," she teased with a playful squeeze of Rosalie's hips.

"Please," the blonde scoffed. "You're mildly interesting, at best."

"That's your secret, isn't it!" Bella laughed. Her entire face lit up and that was the only thing keeping Rosalie from pulling away completely. "Aphrodite, _you're_ the thoughtful, sensitive Cullen. You _notice_ people, you remember things about them, you _care_ enough to hold onto that kind of information, even about strangers."

Well, it _was_ enough, until she kept going. Rosalie dropped her hands from Bella's waist and turned away. "Whatever. You were a mystery to solve, obviously I'm going to pay attention to puzzle pieces."

"And you keep denying it, you keep pretending you don't care. My god, it's _adorable._ "

"Kiss my ass, Swan."

"That's not my target." Bella grabbed Rosalie's wrist, the first time she'd ever actually _grabbed_ her. So used to such feather light touches, Rosalie let herself be spun around, with wide, surprised eyes. _"One."_

The earth stopped spinning and night crashed into day, the sun collided with the moon, and - Rosalie Lillian Hale felt like a donkey just kicked her in the heart. Warmth engulfed her face, her cheeks felt like they were on fire for the first time in just under a century. Lava surged through her veins, burning white hot, her lungs filled with the crispest, freshest breath of air she'd ever taste. She felt _alive_ , well and truly _alive_ , and dizzy and... and...

Reality washed in like a rushing tide sweeping away the dream when Bella finally pulled back. Rosalie blinked twice, staring up at the stars behind Bella's head. She pitied the moon that could never hope to shine as bright as the smile Bella was aiming at her. Rosalie tapped the flat stones beneath her fingertips, realized Bella was leaning over her, dark hair spilling in waves around them.

 _I'm... on the ground?_

Bella's smile, if possible, grew when she saw realization creep into Rosalie's stunned gaze. "I still got it!" she sang happily.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **EDIT:** I'm just gonna _not_ acknowledge the fact that we all know I'm re-uploading this because I don't have the emotional patience to discuss it. Just know that I do take constructive criticism and the nicer, polite ones who expressed their feelings on the Bella/Alice issue were taken and appreciated. I love Alice maybe a little too much, and that started bleeding into this, which warped what I was going for.

 **But still fuck you to the one obnoxious anon who doesn't like "lest". It's a very useful word and helps a sentence flow. Pry it from my cold dead fingers, because I use it daily.**

 **Also, y'all were losing your minds about the counting thing. It was Ten Times Bella Wanted To Kiss Rosalie But Didn't Because They're Supposed To Start As Friends. Or TTBWTKRBDBTSTSAF, for your convenience.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't give Rose too hard of a time. Or maybe you're with her and are like "what the fuck, Bella, just open up already". Who knows. People are complicated. Either way, be patient with these stubborn ladies.**

 **Peace**

 **paige**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

 **Rated: T.**

 **Author: xPaige Turnerx**

 **Summary: It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion. AU. Rosalie/Bella.**

 _'Happiness hit her like a train on a track_

 _Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'_

The next day was a sunny one and Bella was all too eager to head over to the Cullens. Numerous times was she threatened to be kicked out of Angela's car, but the human never made good on it. Unable to bring herself to pop Bella's bubble, she was forced to endure the excited bouncing all the way out to the Cullen driveway.

Bella skidded up the steps of the porch, barely sparing enough time to wave goodbye to her friend. She tapped her knuckles against the wood of the door three times and bounced once more in place, a big grin on her face. Charlie wagged his tail harder when she looked down at him and she scratched behind his ear quickly.

"Good morning, B- _oh!"_ Edward gasped as he was lifted and spun around the doorway. "Bella, put me - no!" Much too tall, he toppled backwards over her shoulder, his face down at her calves. "Bella!" he reprimanded. "Put me down!"

"Sorry, Double Dee." Bella hoisted him sideways until he was across her shoulders, his back behind her head and - somehow it was worse. "Somehow this is worse," she echoed his thoughts and if he had the mobility, he would have facepalmed.

He sighed deeply, arm hooked with hers. "Just drop me. Please, end this."

He landed with a thud.

"Bella!" Alice sang and shot down the stairs as little more than a blur. She threw herself into the taller girl's arms and, much like Edward, was spun around the doorway. "Tell me about the date. Rosalie has been tight-lipped all night, she hasn't even left her room! Did it go badly?"

"It-"

"Did it go well? Was it romantic? Were _you_ romantic?"

"I think-"

Alice locked her fingers behind Bella's neck, her legs around the girl's waist as she lost herself in all her questions and speculations. "Was she romantic? She can be so very sweet sometimes, Bella. Did you dance? We heard music in the woods. Not that we were listening, well, _I_ was trying to listen, but Jasper made it very difficult."

"The music-"

"There are _trees_ in the backyard now, Bella. Esme is thrilled, she actually hasn't left the yard since returning last night. She has so many questions, _I_ have so many questions, but they all mean _nothing_ compared to my next one. Did you two kiss?"

"Can I say one th-"

"You did, didn't you? I _knew_ it. Why else would she hide away in her room? If went badly, you would have called me. You should have called me anyway. Bella, why didn't you call me?"

The onslaught of questions finally ceased, but Bella waited all the same. She watched her friend closely, with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing the little minx. "I..." she tested the word out, waiting to be cut off yet again, and raised an eyebrow when Alice merely waited patiently. "Holy smokes, I can talk? Okay, last night-"

"Boo! How'd it go last night?"

"Oh, forget it." Bella let Alice drop to the floor with a softer thud than Edward's, and headed for the kitchen. Her eyes landed on the bowl of fruit in the middle of the kitchen island, and she quickly hopped up onto one of the stools. Alice took a spot across from her, Edward and Emmett on their sides. "Where's your sister, Best Friend?"

Alice shrugged her shoulders, rolling her eyes up to the ceiling. "In her room. She won't let anyone inside." A lightbulb flashed over the pixie's head and her lips quirked up in a smirk. "Maybe you should try?"

"You are a dangerous influence," Bella murmured to her quietly. To which Alice merely blew a kiss in response. "We're going for a picnic today, we should be gone for a while. I assume she hasn't told you."

"Of course not," Edward agreed with a scoff. "I'm not sure a picnic is very wise today, Bella. The sun is out and shining brightly. Once she steps out of the car..."

Bella hooked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the sliding glass door leading to the back yard. "We're going to the woods, not the park. Nobody will be around when she gets out of the jeep." She leaned forward to place her hand over Emmett's mouth just as he started waggling his eyebrows, grinning up at the pouting behemoth. "What are you guys up to today?"

"Mass Effect Marathon," Emmett's muffled reply came eagerly.

And he was charmed, not for the first time, when he saw Bella perk up and deflate all at once. Like, perhaps, she might rather stay here with him and play. He watched her wiggle in her seat, a thoughtful look on her face, and snap her fingers wistfully. "Have fun," she muttered down into the bowl of fruit.

There was a flurry of motion, a flash of red and gold. Smouldering eyes shifting to a topaz, darkness swirling in from the edges like drops of ink. A billowing curtain of rich blonde hair, and chilly fingers at Bella's chin, her jaw.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized she was falling out of her chair. Slowly, possibly the slowest she's ever moved before, but falling all the same.

"You'll have more fun with me, I promise." The words were a smooth purr, spun like silk for Bella's ears alone.

Rosalie was close. So close. The closest she'd been since that night in her bedroom, since the previous night in the backyard. It was new, different from her usual cold distance. Not just willing to be close to someone, but seeking it out on her own.

Emmett wasn't certain how he felt about it. The equal sting from the realization that all these years, he had to approach her, usually cautiously, in fear that he was breaching her sanctuary of personal space. The comfort of seeing her let someone else in more easily, instinctively. Of his prickly rose growing, evolving.

Bella's lips puckered up because, well, come on. What was she supposed to do with Rosalie so close she could _taste_ her on the air she breathed in. With Rosalie being so open, so sultry and welcoming in this rare moment. Mortal or immortal, you don't not accept what Rosalie Hale offers.

She could almost feel those cool lips, smooth marble that somehow retained its softness even through the change. Reminiscent of the previous night. Felt the magic against her skin, little sparks of Fate tingling in her nerves.

And then she reached the end of the stool.

Limbs flailed and Bella had maybe a heartbeat to windmill her arms before she dropped like a sack of rocks to the floor. By the time she opened her eyes again, Rosalie was gone, and the other Cullens were all snickering down at her.

 _"Ya najah bahra."_

"Guys," Jasper chastised and shouldered through his siblings. He crouched down to give Bella a hand and half-smile. "Hey, Bella, are you okay?"

Warm hands trapped his strong face between them and his brows furrowed. Bella stared at him seriously, but with her usual open kindness. "That is a very complicated question, Jasper, you should not throw it around so casually."

"I..." He blew out a puff of confused, mildly frustrated air. "Is your physical wellbeing uncompromised in this moment?"

A grin twice as bright as the sun was flashed his way and Bella hopped up to her feet. "Yes, thank you. Your sister is wiley, but I'm onto her now. We'll see who wins the next round."

Alice bounced in place excitedly, her hand shooting out like lightning to thwack Edward in the gut. "They're _playing_ , Edward! Rosalie is _playing._ "

"Yes," he rasped, keeled over and sucking in the air that was knocked out of him. "I can see that." He slowly straightened back up, one hand raised in cautious anticipation of Alice's excitement again, while he eyed her warily. "She's waiting for you in the jeep, Bella."

"Excellent!" Bella scooped the bowl of fruit into her bag, hooked it across her chest, and made for the door with a finger waggle to the others. "Ta-ta, for now. Charlie!"

The backdoor of the jeep was open and waiting for them when they raced down the porch, the interior of the vehicle dark with shadows. Bella helped her cuddly behemoth into the back seat before climbing up after him. "Huh. That's pretty cool."

Inside the jeep was more spacious than she would have thought, and with the door closed, also much brighter. What surprised her the most, however, was that her glittering goddess was... well, not glittering. Rosalie barely spared her a glance before peeling out of the driveway, her eyes trained on the road. There was, however, a gentle upturn of her lips in the very corner, that Bella noticed. "Custom windows. They let in light, but not uv rays. Thus, I do not sparkle."

"Boo," Bella huffed as she attempted to slide between the seats to the passenger one. "You don't have to hide from -oops, sorry- from me, you know. I've -can you just push my knee to the side there?- seen other vampires sparkle before."

She collapsed into the seat sideways and in a puff of breath, cheek smooshed against the dashboard. Rosalie watched her with a raised eyebrow, disbelief in her eyes, if not a little mirth. "As unbelievable as it may seem, not everything I do revolves around you. We've always had these windows." Golden eyes drifted back down to Bella and Rosalie sighed. "Just sit properly."

"I'm _trying!"_ Bella grumbled into the floor mat. "Where's my left foot?"

"Tangled in the seatbelt - for the love of god, Bella." Rosalie reached across to yank Bella's boot free from the belt and guide her to a proper position. "And you're a god?" she muttered with a shake of her head.

Catching her breath, Bella straightened her clothes and settled back into the seat. "Whew. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." With the road stretched out before them and not a soul in sight, Rosalie felt herself relaxing. The vibrations in the steering wheel did wonders at easing her nerves. "I suppose I'm just curious. About you. Still."

"That's fair." Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully as she gazed at the vampire. "I'm curious about you, too. I propose a game of twenty questions."

"Mature."

"Uh, _duh_. How else do people get to know each other?"

A smile finally broke free from Rosalie's lips. She shook her head again before resting her elbow against where the door and window met, holding her chin in her hand. "Fine. If I must resort to playschool tactics just to get to know my own... well, then I must. Who goes first?"

"You," Bella declared playfully. "I am nothing, if not chivalrous. There, one more thing you know about me now."

"Right, right. Okay." Golden eyes narrowed slightly, glancing sideways at Bella. Hundreds of questions came pouring to the surface; about her tattoos, about her bag (and subsequently, her past), why she owned a comic store, how she owned it. Why was she going to school? Did she always go to school? But specifics could wait, because it was a path one easily got lost on. Rosalie would start with the basics, it seemed the easiest. "How old are you?"

"Very," Bella replied without missing a beat.

And Rosalie had to swallow her growl of annoyance. "That's not an answer."

Surprisingly, Bella remained passive and open. It wasn't a deflection this time. "I couldn't give you an accurate one, even if it mattered."

"And it doesn't?"

Bella considered this, her head tilting to the side. Dark eyes peered over at Rosalie from behind her glasses, speculative. "I'd still be me, wouldn't I? What does a number mean? How does it define me?"

"Fair," the blonde agreed reluctantly. "Your turn."

Bouncing in the seat, Bella hummed happily. "Hmm, okay. Umm..." she drummed her fingers on the dashboard, "how old are-"

"You little shit."

Bella tossed her head back to bark out a laugh, watching Rosalie try to tame the grin on her own face. _"Oooooh,_ you cursed!" Golden eyes rolled to the ceiling. "Okay, for real. You can collect seashells or rocks, which do you choose?"

"What?" Again, Rosalie had to tear her eyes from the road to give Bella a look. "What kind of question is that?"

"It says more about your personality than your favourite colour does. You'd pick rocks, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know why. I don't even _like_ rocks."

"Who doesn't like rocks?!"

Rosalie shook her head lightly. "Well, I don't _dislike_ them. You'd pick rocks as well?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

Bella reached up to the front of her shirt, tilting her chin up proudly. "Much like bowties, rocks are cool as heck."

"You _don't_ curse," Rosalie observed thoughtfully with the barest hint of interest. Despite her claims of _needing_ to know more, to know Bella, and how much she fought herself to remain civil about it, the vampire didn't let it on. If she hadn't point blank told Bella, Bella would have thought Rosalie couldn't care less one way or another.

Alas, the thought that Rosalie _did_ crave to know Bella, tickled the girl pink. Bella's smile scrunched her eyes at the corners, it was so big and happy. "No, I can't. I'm a perfect ray of sunshine."

"Kill me."

She gasped dramatically, reaching across to loops her fingers loosely around Rosalie's wrist. "But who would ask the next question?!"

Another roll of the eyes, and Rosalie turned down a gravel road. She checked the rearview mirror, watching Charlie re-adjust to rest his large head on his paws, her heart warm and full. Her gaze drifted down to the warm fingers still splayed on her forearm, thumb tracing circles absently.

Touching her wasn't even a conscious thought to Bella, that's how comfortable she felt. Just a base desire, somewhere in the back of her mind, that she wanted to be close, to connect.

And once again, Rosalie wondered if it was _her_. If Bella wanted _her_ specifically, or if she just craved connection in general. A being as old as she, cut off from others of her kind, watching the humans she loves die around her over and over again.

It was something everyone in the family had thought about at one time or another. Rosalie suspected it was part of the reason why they were all so withdrawn from the actual people of society, even as they tried to engross themselves back in it. Form a connection, a real, true connection. Love someone. Form a bond, form memories, build a life with them... just to watch them turn to dust.

The thought was daunting at best, and haunted her in the darkest moments. The mere thought of being forced to watch as time _stole_ one of her family members. She had her own issues with vampirism to battle, but she was, at least, thankful of it in that regard.

That she would never have to watch Jasper or Esme wither away. That the only threats to her family, were ones _she_ could fight. Ones she could protect them from, because time?

Rosalie glanced up at Bella, the cheerful girl with a dark, endless shadow stretched out behind her.

Not even a god could fight time.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"I think the universe is trying to spite me," Bella grumbled up at the sky with her arms across her chest.

A large cloud had rolled up just as they parked the jeep to begin their trek to their picnic destination. Fifteen minutes later, they were at their tree, and the field remained cloudy. Not that Rosalie minded much. In fact, the more emphasis Bella put on wanting to see her sparkle, the more nervous she became about it.

Which, logically, she knew was ridiculous. She wasn't blind, she knew how she looked, how her appearance affected others. But still... Bella had a way of making her feel like a stereotypical teenage girl; a bundle of nerves and hormones out of her own control.

Ridiculous.

"I would," Rosalie replied offhandedly. She felt Bella snort more than she heard her, back against the enormous tree, with the girl's head on her lap. Now and then, her fingers twitched with the urge to play with the silky, dark locks within her reach. "So, how many others have you brought out here?" 

"Jealous?"

It was a quip but Rosalie found honesty a frightening kind of easy. "Yes."

Dark eyes blinked and Bella tilted her head back a little more, distracted from the flower crown in her fingers, to catch Rosalie's eye. "Less than you'd think."

"Were they men? Women? Both?" The usual bite was absent this time, Rosalie was pleased to find. Perhaps she was getting better at controlling her temper, or maybe she just didn't feel the need to defend herself around Bella as much. Maybe it was the tranquil setting; the gentle breeze carrying through the field, making the branches and leaves above them dance. Bella's warmth radiating off her, spreading from Rosalie's thighs, settling deep in her bones. Watching Charlie run around in the distance, chasing butterflies.

Bella hummed and went back to her flower crown. "Only women. I'm, haha," she shook her head fondly, "I'm the gayest god."

"Were you the only one?"

She hadn't actually ever considered gods having such humanizing qualities.

Bella scoffed. "Oh, no. No, no. Sexuality is just as fluid as gender, for us. And now that I think of it, Nova was probably the gayest."

"Nova?" Rosalie perked up at information offered so freely. "Who was that?"

A wistful grin tugged at Bella's lips. "God of the Constellations. Always giving Orion a hard time."

"Orion?"

"Goddess of the Stars."

"Are they any of the buried?"

"No."

A solemn silence fell over them just as quick as the clouds that had rolled in earlier and now bathed the field in shadow. Rosalie wondered if maybe those shadows followed Bella. She gave into her urge this time, sliding her fingers through loose curls of dark hair.

She felt Bella relax almost instantly and sigh softly. "They're among the Banished Gods."

"Banished?" Rosalie echoed in astonishment.

Bella shrugged, staring hard at the flower crown. "Our... disagreement was tearing everything apart. Ruining everything. Destroying everything. To lessen the devastation, an opportunity was seized. A number of the Gods were Banished," Bella gestured towards the sky vaguely, even as she refused to look up, "out there."

"How..." Rosalie shook her head and stared up at the sky as she tried to wrap her head around the idea. "How did you banish them?"

"Me?!" Bella echoed with wide, bulging eyes. Rosalie looked down at her earnestly. "I-what? I can't banish them. I can't even _imagine_ the kind of power that would take."

"Well. You're the last one standing, I thought you were the strongest. Who banished them?"

"Our father," Bella replied meekly.

"You have a father?!" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"Don't you?"

And, again, it was such simple logic. Such a simple answer, that Rosalie felt foolish for asking it in the first place. But also _not_ , because, wow. Who would assume a god has a father? It's not that ridiculous to question it.

But it's definitely a path she could see Bella taking her down just to tease her and there were more pressing questions that needed answers, so she ignored the little smirk on Bella's face. "So you're all siblings? You had to fight your brothers and sisters?"

The thought made her heart ache for Bella.

"More like cousins?" Bella said, but it came out more like a question as her eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "But still not - we don't... it's not how you know it. We don't share genetics. Gods aren't born. We... _Become."_

"Bragger," Rosalie scoffed under her breath with a ghost of a smile that eased some of the tension from Bella's face. "But you die?"

"All that live must die."

"Sometimes I think you do and say these things _just_ to be extra dramatic," Rosalie told her and watched as Bella smiled slightly. "You don't have siblings, but you said you have brothers?"

"Yes."

Her tone and eyes were dull when she replied and Rosalie felt her gut drop. "You don't want to talk about that."

"No. Please."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and hooked her hand around Bella's arm. "I just have so many questions, and I don't always stop to think how they will affect others. If I know everything, I can protect everyone. Or that's how I feel, anyway."

Bella stared up into her face with dark eyes that held broken cracks of anguish. "You can't protect me from the past."

Of course she wanted to ask more questions, the very important ones. The ones that would tear Bella's old wounds open, would rip out the secrest Rosalie could see hiding behind those dark eyes. The answers, however, were not worth the pain she knew they'd bring, and so she forced herself to let them go.

For now.

Instead she hummed a tune from a long forgotten dream. Dragged her fingers through Bella's hair, made little braids here and there. Watched the rise and fall of her mate's chest, listened to her breathe in and out. Mourned the lack of a heartbeat, even as she basked in the warmth that radiated from Bella. Her own personal sun.

There was a gentle safety that wrapped around the field, protected the three of them. Rosalie had never felt so calm, so free. The worries and anxieties of everyday life waited for her back at the jeep, but they didn't dare encroach on this moment.

She felt safe enough to drag a cool finger down Bella's cheek, feel the warmth pool to the surface with a blush that no heart provided. _How?_

Despite being a _'mythical creature'_ herself, Rosalie knew there was science behind being a vampire. Biology. She knew exactly how, exactly why. And maybe there was science behind being a god, or whatever Bella was _precisely_.

But there also had to be _magic_ , even just a little. There _had_ to be, because you simply cannot blush without a heart.

"How do you blush with a dead heart?" Rosalie whispered, unable to hold the words in any longer.

Bella blinked a few times. Brought back to the moment, no longer drifting into a peaceful rest. "I don't think I said it was dead."

"It doesn't beat," Rosalie pointed out. She would hear it, if it did.

"Yes, it does."

Or maybe not.

Still, she leaned down closer towards Bella's chest, tilting her head. "I can't hear it."

And Bella laughed. She reached up to cup a chilly cheek, smiling so softly at the vampire that Rosalie's mind lagged a moment, drew a blank on what they were talking about, before kicking into overdrive. "Of course you can't, I don't have it here."

"... you're definitely doing this on purpose." Rosalie sighed heavily and thumped back against the tree, staring up at the sky while she gathered every ounce of her patience. "When you said you ripped it from your chest, you were being literal?"

"Yes."

"How is that even possible?"

Another pout slid across Bella's face and she sighed petulantly, glancing sideways at Rosalie. "That's a little complicated. So, basically, the only way a god dies is from a broken heart." Rosalie stared down at her dully until Bella cracked and smiled. "Kidding. Seemed hella poetic, I couldn't resist. And not _entirely_ inaccurate. Destroy the heart, kill a god. Pretty straightforward."

That was... disappointing, and no small amount of frightening. "That's it?"

"Yup. Fragile thing, a god's heart. I imagine a simple butterknife would do the trick." And if that thought wasn't horrifying enough for Rosalie, Bella proceeded to make little stabbing motions to her own chest.

Rosalie's hand shot out to grab Bella's, black eyes scowling off to the side. "No wonder your kind was wiped out. It's too easy to kill you, Bella."

"Hey!" Bella harrumphed and tugged her hand free, squirming to catch Rosalie's eye. "I said straightforward, not easy. They were still gods, you had to get to the point of a butterknife stabbing. Some could literally teleport you away with a thought."

"How did they all die then?"

"A lot of effort," Bella grumbled. "Deception, brute force, tactics like you wouldn't believe. Takes a god to kill a god, so no, not that easy."

Rosalie hummed low in her chest while her mind reeled over all of this new information. If Bella was the last, that meant nobody could hurt her, nobody could take her away from Rosalie.

But Bella wasn't _really_ the last, was she? There were two others.

"I..." Rosalie licked her lips, took a deep breath, and settled back against the tree. "I see. You're still here, so I trust you're more clever than the average god."

And that damn smirk was back. She was loathe to admit it, but Bella wore arrogance well. "Uh, heck yeah. Took that fragile little sucker out and hid it in a tree."

Rosalie's face fell into her palm as her patience waned, whined, threatened to snap. "You hid your incredibly fragile heart in a tree?"

"A tree no one but me could ever find, yes."

"Don't you need it? Does it not affect you, not having it?"

"No... well. Not. Um." Bella blew out a frustrated, hesitant breath of air. Her dark eyes lingered on the crown between her fingers, all but disengaged with the course this conversation had taken. "Potentially, yes, there may be a _small_ chance that, _perhaps_ , my... my emotions could be severely dampened and dulled," she rushed out quietly.

Rosalie blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Finally, Bella sat up to wrap her arms around her knees and stare out into the field. "I don't know, man. I can't prove it, it's just something I've noticed, I've suspected for a while."

"Which is why you still don't have it, even with the others buried," Rosalie finished as the thought came to her.

Bella clicked her tongue, turning to look at her over her shoulder. "You're a clever girl, you know that?"

"And you're very good at deflecting."

"May I kiss you?"

 _"Very_ good," Rosalie grumbled. Her narrowed eyes scrutinized Bella closely, suspicion and caution both abundant in her gaze. "Why?"

"Why?" Bella echoed with a laugh, her posture relaxing again to lay back in Rosalie's lap once more. "Why do you always ask me why I ask you questions when the answer is obvious?"

"It's not always obvious."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Stubborn."

"The pot said to the kettle."

"Fine." Bella reached up to poke the frustrated crinkle in Rosalie's brow, watching it smooth out into perfectly smooth skin. She traced her fingertip across a blonde brow, down the side of her cheek, up to her chin, before booping her nose. "I really, _really_ like you. That's why."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Rosalie said dismissively.

"Why not?" Bella asked and tried to keep the pout out of her voice as she sat up again.

Gold faded to amber and for only the second time since meeting her, did Bella spot hunger lingering in Rosalie's eyes. _"Because,"_ the blonde purred. In a slow, calculated motion, she surged forwards until Bella fell backwards into the grass. The vampire held herself above Bella, staring down into an open face and eyes filled with a dare. "We're alone and my control has never been tested before."

"I'm a big scary god," Bella told her, breath catching in her throat when Rosalie lowered herself until she pinned Bella beneath her. "I can take care of myself."

"Having seen you rollerblade into a glass pane window, I find that very difficult to believe."

Bella scoffed, a grumble under her breath while she rolled her eyes again. "Mood killer."

"Bella?"

"Hm."

"Yes."

Dark eyes reluctantly dragged back over to Rosalie. "Yes, what?"

"You may."

Warm fingers slid around the back of Rosalie's neck, a gentle tug guiding her lips to their smiling destination. The delighted hum she received from Bella when they finally connected was enough to inflate Rosalie's heart, or maybe break it.

A lot of cliches came to mind as the kissed, much like last time. Cliches that Rosalie had to conscious bat away because she was _not_ giving into that, she refused to let Alice be right about her. About that vexing, secret hopeless romantic side of her. The side that kept her in the room while _The Notebook_ played on the television, the side that melted every time Carlisle surprised Esme with flowers and a dancing date.

The only piece of her human self that had somehow managed to burrow in and remain all these years; the side the had quickly and irrevocably fallen in love with love.

Not that Bella made it easy. Lips softer than a dream but somehow strong, her presence passive but all-consuming. Her taste something between berries and lavender, much like her scent, but even more potent and, god, how many years had it been since Rosalie craved anything other than blood?

 _"Mmmf!"_

Rosalie felt Bella's lips curl up into a smile in the middle of their kiss and was determined to ignore it. Was determined to kiss this woman until she was delirious and forgot about the noise Rosalie just made.

But then Bella's chest began to shake and she wasn't kissing Rosalie back so much as she was trying to stifle her giggles.

Which was just... it was very hard to keep kissing through.

With no small amount of regret, Rosalie pulled away just enough to stare down at her mate. "If you say one word about it, I'm-"

"You _moaned_ , Aphrodite," Bella laughed softly and quickly pressed another kiss to the vampire's lips. "I'm going to treasure that noise for the rest of my life."

"I will literally end you."

"God, I _adore_ you."

Rosalie shifted her weight to one hand while the other plucked a flower from the colourful barrage that surrounded Bella in the grass. A bed of flowers that had most definitely not been there before the kiss, and... "Bella."

"Hm?" the dreamy reply came, hooded eyes gazing at her like she was the single most interesting thing in the universe.

Something Rosalie might have taken a moment to bask in, if not for the fact that those hooded eyes were not the familiar shade of brown she had come to love. Instead, a pair of shimmering green eyes stared back at her. _Shimmering._

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 **This chapter took forever but that's mostly because I had to go back and fix this because of my deep-seated love of Alice. Which I totally did, and totally didn't cry while doing it. Specifically, the scene in the comic shop on the couch, and the scene in the previous chapter before Bella finds Rosalie.**

 **Anyway, I'm trying to find my groove back in this story. I've been writing a lot of different things lately, so sticking to one style is... a conscious effort? On that note, not sure how many of you follow me on tumblr (thirteenohtoo dot tumblr dot com), but I'm doing a prompt extravaganza.**

 **I've got a list of prompts on my page that I'm going to be working through, and I've left the pairings and fandom choices for most of them up to you! So, if you want, go ahead and vote on your choice there, and keep an eye on my page** _ **here**_ **. I'll gather all the stories and post them under a** _ **Paige's Prompts**_ **document here.**

 **Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and what giant nerds these two are.**

 **peace**

 **paige.**


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